Dried Fava and Potato Puree with Kale

 
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I am spending Christmas with my sister, Trish, in Edmonton. This 8 hour drive in the winter can be a tad stressful. It was all I could do to put my car in reverse and back out of the driveway Monday morning. At 8am it is still pitch dark and the winds were howling at 70 km/hr. We had a lot of snow so I was envisioning poor visibility and, at worst,snow drifts across the lesser used Hwy #4.

My first hour of driving was exactly that. At times visibility was down to a few hundred feet and it was dark for at least an hour. No snow drifts, thank heaven. I arrived safe and sound.

Christmas was with our cousins and we don't have tons of leftovers for easy meals. Today I decided to start cooking. My sister is vegetarian and has a large selection of dried peas & beans, lentils and grains. I thought I would have a little fun with them and give Trish some variety and new ideas for meals. We can all use that once in awhile.

While I have cooked with fresh fava beans I have never tried the dried version. They have a tough outer skin that is not digestible. Some may find this adds too much fibre to their diet. Removing this also makes it easier to mash. This trumped up mashed potatoes becomes a nutritious and hearty side dish. The recipe calls for dandelion greens, however they are out of season. The kale tastes just as good.

Fava beans are a significant source of protein, iron, calcium and dietary fibre. They have lesser amounts of Vitamins A and C. They are low in sodium and fat. Kale is high in Vitamin A and C.

 

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Dried Fava and Potato Puree with Kale

Bon Appétit  | May 2010

    8 ounces dried fava beans* (about 1 1/2 cups)

    1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped peeled Yukon Gold potato (about 5 ounces)

    3/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion

    1/2 cup coarsely chopped peeled carrot

    Pinch of salt

    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

    3 or 4 pieces of kale, remove the tough stem and only use leaves

    1 garlic clove, peeled, minced

    Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper

    Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place fava beans in medium bowl. Pour enough water over to cover by 2 inches. Cover and let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.

Place fava beans in large saucepan and covered with water. Simmer uncovered until beans are very soft, stirring occasionally and adding more boiling water as needed to keep beans submerged, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Peel off outer shell  from beans and discard.

In another pot add potatoes, onion, carrot water, salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

Combine potato and bean mixture ransfer and puree until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer fava bean puree to serving bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add kale, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sauté until greens wilt, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place greens on top of fava bean puree. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

* Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian and Middle Eastern markets.

Test-kitchen tip: Keep a pot of boiling water on the stove so you can add boiling water to the beans as needed.