Fava Beans with Garlic

Favas with chopped Garlic and Onions4 cloves garlic, diced finely
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 tsp each chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb blanched fava beans, removed from pod and shell (see "Fabulous Favas")
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Cook sauce until you can draw a spoon through it and it doesn't immediately fill inHeat oil over medium high heat in a stick saucepan.  Add garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds.  Add the onion and herbs, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 8 minutes until onion is golden.  Add the chicken broth, and stir to remove brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until sauce is thick (you should be able to draw a spoon through the sauce and it doesn't immediately fill in the hole).  Add the favas, cook for an additional 1 minutes, and then turn off the heat.  Allow to rest for five minutes, taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes: For Vegetarians, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth

Fava Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs

1 Lb Fresh Favas, Shell and pod removed (see "Fabulous Favas")Fava Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fruity red wine
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add garlic and sautee until you can smell it, about 30 seconds.  Add onion, rosemary, and salt, and cook until olive is gold and the garlic is sticking to the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.  Deglaze pan with wine, stirring to remove all of the bits from the bottom of the pan, and reduce over medium-low heat.  Add the tomatoes, but not the juice.  (Use your hands.  its the easiest way not to lose the tomatoes and then you can squeeze them when you add them to the sauce).  Add the bayleaf and cook until sauce is thick and flavorful.  Add the favas, cook for about 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.  Allow to rest for about five minutes.  The beans will "cook" from the heat of the sauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe notes: if you don't have a fruity red win, use any red.  I just think the slight sweetness of the red wine complements the slight sweetness of the favas.  If you use fresh favas, since you have to blanch them to remove the pod they will cook extremely quickly.