Fava Beans are the center attraction for me here. This splendiferous dish was created with them in mind. It's a springtime Mediterranean garden on a plate. A probiotic rich layer of herbed Kefir and Yoghurt infused with Dill, Mint and Parsley topped with perfectly cooked green as green can be Fava Beans with Persian Cucumbers and Campari Tomatoes dressed simply in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Celtic Sea Salt. Finished with some more fresh herbs and a good drizzle of Olive Oil. Magic.

Fresh Fava Beans grace us for a few weeks in Spring before they’re gone! When we were little my mother would buy us bag fulls and we’d enjoy peeling back the long beans and eating them raw. I still love eating them this way and love using them in as many recipes as I can this time of year. Enjoy young Fava Beans raw, and save the larger more mature Favas for cooking. They’re delicious as is, on a good slice of toasted sourdough bread and good quality salted butter.

If you are in season for Fava Beans and can buy them fresh I’d suggest that, but if not, you can find frozen Fava Beans year round at most Middle Eastern supermarkets.

To cook fresh Fava Beans, start by removing the beans from their pods. Blanch the beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes then transfer them to an ice bath to cool or run them under cold water. Once cool, peel off the tough outer skin to reveal the bright green bean inside.

For frozen Fava Beans, cook from frozen per package instructions, but do a minute less than the shortest time on the instructions. For example if it says boil for 5-7 minutes, boil for 4. You want the Beans to be tender not mushy. Add Salt to the water you boil them in.

Organic Ingredients, serves 2

2.5 Cups cooked Fava Beans. al dente
2 Persian Cucumbers
5 Campari Tomatoes, or two Heirlooms
2 Tbsps. Chopped Dill
2 Tbsps. Chopped Mint
2 Tbsps. Chopped Parsley
2 Tbsps. Heaped Labneh
2 Tbsps. Heaped Greek Yoghurt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Celtic Sea Salt

Method

Set aside a pinch of each herb for Garnish.

Put the Labneh, Greek Yoghurt, Chopped Herbs + half a tsp. Salt in a bowl and whip with a whisk.

Gently remove Fava Beans from shells by peeling the outler layer of skin off, keeping the inside in tact.

Chop Cucumbers and Tomatoes into small, even size pieces. Mix shelled Fava Beans, Cucumber and Tomato in a bowl. Season with 1-2 Tbsps. Olive Oil and Salt to taste.

Plate herbed Labneh on a flat serving plate by spooning a thin layer of it across the plate. Top with Cucumber, Tomato and Fava Bean mix. Garnish with fresh Herbs and drizzle a good amount of Olive Oil over the top. Enjoy.

Fava Bean Salad on Herbed Labneh

Steamed Artichoke