Prepping Fava Beans

Until I first got these in a CSA box, I had never seen a fava bean before. I didn't know what to expect, so I followed the instructions in the CSA newsletter:

First I removed the beans from their pods. The pods were thick and lined with a coat of soft fuzz.




Then I boiled the beans for about a minute and rinsed them in cold water. The thick papery shells slid off easily.





After all the beans were shelled, I was surprised how little food there was compared to the amount of compost generated and the amount of work required.

The upside is that the beans are very tasty! They're rich and hearty; they remind me of edamame. I'm sure I could find plenty of uses for these beans if I search allrecipe.com, but I'm happy just to add a little salt to them and snack on them as is.