Fava Bean Bruschetta With Mint and Basil

On Saturday mornings in Noe Valley on 24th a farmer's market takes place. This is nothing like the big farmer's market that takes place at the Ferry Building downtown. The Noe Valley farmer's market is very small, only about 15 vendors, and it is difficult to walk out of there without spending the prior week's paycheck. You do get what you pay for however and last Saturday was no exception. My friend Jeffrey and I were strolling the aisles of a vegetable purveyor and there they were. Big and fat and green fava beans... AND... they were already shelled.

If you have never shelled fava beans before I recommend staying away from the task. It is daunting, time consuming and a big pain in the butt. To have access to shelled favas was something that we could not pass up, but what to do with these tasty lime green delicious treats?

During a recent dinner at Bar Bambino, an amazing Italian restaurant in the Mission District of San Francisco, my friends and I sampled some creative bruschetta, the best was the Chickpeas With Minced Roasted Olive Bits. Thinking back on this experience I was inspired not only by the bruschetta at Bar Bambino, but also by the fresh herbs and Meyer lemons that were staring me in the face.

So I picked up about 3 cups of shelled fava beans, fresh mint and basil and Meyer lemons. Jeffrey chose a rustic wheat bread to toast and serve the fava beans with.

Here is how you make this amazing bruschetta.

- Whichever you choose, baguette, rustic wheat, etc. slice thin and toast in the oven until crispy and golden brown.
- 2-3 cups of shelled favas (steamed for about 5 minutes or until soft to the bite, but not mushy)
- 2 tbsp each of Fresh mint and basil, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Olio N'uovo or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix very well. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust flavor accordingly. You may need or want to add more Meyer lemon juice.

Serve atop toasted bread.