No Recipe Cooking and the Power of Fava Beans

I love recipes. I have hoards of books chock full of them that I take to the beach and read like novels. I like the pictures, the descriptions, the potential and the concepts. The only time I become violently anti recipe at 4:00 in the afternoon when planning dinner. At that point I want food to jump out at me and miraculously arrange itself on my counter for eating pleasure. Thankfully I live close to the St Lawrence Market where walking the stalls produces a meal with scarcely more effort.

One of the things I love about idling through the market without a plan is that it often reminds me of old favourites that have slipped my mind and menu recently. Yesterday fava beans were such an occasion; these funny looking stalks brought forth not only an iconic movie line but happy memories of meals past. Some find the fava bean a little capricious to prepare – it does require a two step shucking procedure, but unless you’re making a meal of a dozen (at which point hire help) it’s not that bad. I even find in kind of gratifying to pluck the individual beans out of their wooden husks; they’re such a pretty vibrant green after.

Pre Meal Shopping
2 Week aged New York Striploin from La Boucherie Fine Meats Inc
Ontario Potatoes (organic), Fava beans (organic) and Portobello mushroom (organic) from Golden Orchard Fine Food











Fava Beans pre shucking










Fava Beans post shucking










Meal