This week's recipe: Fava Beans with Bacon and Shaved Pecorino

{three simple ingredients}

It helps to be a daydreamer when you're doing something as tedious as shucking fava beans (also known as broad beans). An open window. A warm breeze. A Tuscan villa. An abundant garden. I've never been to Tuscany, but I have some pretty good visuals (thanks, in part, to Diane Lane. Wait -- why is it that Hollywood's heroines seem to require a divorce as much as a passport in order to experience Italy?). Anyway, my afternoon in Italy was perfectly pleasant and what's more, by the time I returned to my kitchen, I'd painstakingly removed the beans from their pods and they were blanching on the stove.

The allure of the Italian villa is real. Though I have yet to visit Italy, I was lucky enough one summer in college to spend some time with a good friend and her family outside a little town called Bonnieux in Provence, France. The modest villa they had rented was a short walk to town where we would fetch fresh milk and bread almost daily, and shop an open air market overflowing with vibrant vegetables and fruits brought in from nearby gardens and orchards. It was so easy to be inspired by the fresh ingredients we found at the market. And such a luxury to be able to buy only what we needed for a day or two. (It's actually not that different from my current existence. Our refrigerator compressor blew last Thursday and we've been living out of coolers with nearly daily trips to our local market. Again, evidence that it helps to be a daydreamer. Failed compressor = Mediterranean fantasy).

I depend each week on my CSA to provide me with a dose of what it feels like to be faced with the abundance of an open-air market. This past week, we received fava beans -- an ancient, spectacular food that, to me, feels like a Mediterranean villa in that it requires us to slow down and take our time. And get this. Italy and fava beans may have something else in common. Favas have a high concentration of L-dopa (dopamine) an amino acid that contributes to improved memory, energy and sex drive (see here). At least one of those sounds like Italy to me. Fava beans also provide you with a healthy dose of dietary fiber and protein and are an excellent source of folate.

Oh, and by the way -- I have plans to go to Italy. Not airline tickets and reservation kind of plans, but plans nonetheless. And I'll have you know, I'm bringing my hunk of a husband with me.

{rather innocent looking, the fava bean requires significant prep. it's worth it}

{pile-o-bacon}

Fava Beans with Bacon and Shaved Pecorino

2 cups shelled fava beans (approx 2 1/2 lbs in pods)
10 strips no-nitrate bacon (I use Niman Ranch)
Approx 5 oz Pecorino Romano, shaved
salt and pepper to taste

:: Follow these steps to prepare the fava beans: Remove beans from pod. Blanch beans for 3 minutes in boiling water to soften skin. Peel off outer skin (the skin will be the white-ish part). More detail here

:: Cook the bacon. My preferred method is broiling. Place a couple inches under a preheated broiler for approximately 8 minutes, or until the bacon starts to curl. Flip about 1/2 way through. Remove bacon from drippings and place on a paper towel to drain. Pat dry. Cut into bite sized pieces.

:: Using a vegetable peeler and peeling towards you, shave the Pecorino into long strips. Gently break strips into smaller flakes.

:: Combine the fava beans, bacon and pecorino in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately on its own, over greens, or with your choice of pasta.

Serves 6