The freezer cleanout continues: fava bean soup

Before proceeding, ragazzi, Annalena wants to thank everyone for the unanimity of support for her approach to these entries and recipes. Everyone who commented, and there were many of you, were flattering to a point where Annalena nearly blushed - something she doesn't do often. It is both wonderful to know you're out there, following these words, and that you agree with this approach. Thank you all very much.

As you have been reading over the last week or so, I am deeply involved in emptying the freezer, so that I can refill it again once harvest starts. There is a rhubarb and cherry pie destined for a dinner party tonight, peas are appearing on the dinner menu with some frequency, and now, the fava beans.

Fava beans may very well be one of the most discouraging vegetables to work with. Some people complain about artichokes, but compared to fava beans, artichokes are, well, easy. Favas come in those huge, puffy pods that are inedible. There is nothing you can do with them but compost them. Then, the beans themselves are wrapped in a skin which, unless you are fortunate enough to get very small ones from California, have to be peeled, before you can get to the very tasty bean. It can be disheartening to sit there, beginning with a shopping bag sized pile of the things, and wind up with a small bowl of green goodness. All that work, for THIS????

Well, I cannot make removing them from the pods easier for you, but I CAN teach you a trick for peeling them. I was sure that I had invented this, but then I read an article in which the great Paula Wolfert described the same technique. So I will give credit to her, but I DID think of it independently (I swear). After you have podded the beans, freeze them. Then, defrost them and pop the beans out of the skin. Nothing could be easier, and you avoid injuring your fingertips with the standard techniques, or burning them from beans you have parboiled and started peeling too soon, because you couldn't wait until they cooled off.

If you have fava beans in your freezer, you can make this now. If you don't, save it for spring. Or, substitute peas for the fava beans. They are just about always interchangeable, and if you don't have your own stock of frozen peas, do what I suggested, a few recipes down.

Get yourself two cups of peeled fava beans. Also, peel and chop fine a pound of potatoes. Any kind will do, as long as you don't use the pink or blue fleshed ones. They are lovely to eat, but in a soup like this, the color is not good. You will also need about a half cup of thinly sliced shallots, or onions, or leeks, whatever you have available. Finally, chicken stock, water, and olive oil.

Cover a soup pot with olive oil, and when it warms, add the shallots or onions or leeks with a teaspoon of salt, and cook until they begin to soften. Add the potatoes, and toss with the onion family member, and another teaspoon of salt. (The gradual adding of the salt, incidentally, is to help the vegetables "open up" in the cooking.). Cook this for about two minutes, and then add one quart of stock, 2 cups of water, and the fava beans. Turn the heat to low, and then cook until the potatoes are tender enough for you. Different folks will like different degrees of softness, so proceed as you like.

Taste this, and then correct for the seasonings.

It's easy, and like I say, you can use peas if you have no favas. But plan on having them when the season begins. They are good for you, and you will love them.