fava bean and goat cheese dip

Is a fava bean worth the double peel and shuck?  I wasn't sure when I decided to make a fava bean based appetizer for supper club this month.  Fava beans require a lot of work.  The labor intensive peel, shuck, parboil and pop out of pod is the kind of work that seems like a mindless Sunday afternoon activity that includes sitting on the porch watching you kids play in the sunshine while sipping sweet tea. Unfortunately I don't have a porch and we don't have sunshine so, I did this in my kitchen watching my kids peering out the glass doors leading into the backyard frowning at the gray sky and rain clouds.  The bright green color of the fava bean pushes you into spring even if the sky is gray.  The bean has a buttery and nutty taste and pairs nice with other spring flavors such as garlic and lemon.  Not only do they taste good but, they are packed with nutritious things like fiber, iron and protein.  This creamy dip tastes great spread on a crostini or on crunchy fresh vegetables.  I also spread some on sprouted bread with a poached egg for dinner the next day and it was delicious.  This was a great start to our Easter feast supper club meal.  It was another fun and tasty night with amazing friends and I can't think of a better way to jump into spring.

fava bean and goat cheese dip

• 2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled (~2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice (~1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Remove the outer shell from the fava beans.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the shelled beans, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove beans from the hot water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to shock the beans into maintaining their bright green color. When the beans have sunk to the bottom of the bowl of ice water, take them out and remove the outer pod.

Place garlic, beans, lemon zest, lemon juice and water in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Stream in a tablespoon of olive oil while puréeing.

Transfer mixture from food processor into a bowl. Mix in the goat cheese until well combined. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.