About fava beans . . .

A recent New York Times article about fava beans rather casually tossed out a warning that “fava beans are toxic to individuals with favism, a genetic disorder. Be cautious when trying fava beans for the first time.” And that’s all the article says before going blithely on to the recipe. As a sometime hypochondriac, I immediately went online to learn the symptoms of fava bean toxic shock syndrome. I was somewhat comforted to discover that favism (also known as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency) is very, very rare and that fava beans are safe to eat for the average person. If you do have G6PD, as it is known to those of us who are up on medical lingo, chances are that you already know it, and probably your doctor has already warned you that eating fava beans can cause severe, acute and sudden anemia, kidney failure and possibly even death.Most of the people on the planet, however, don’t need to worry. Which makes me wonder why The New York Times decided this particular food and disease combination merited a warning in print. Certainly they don’t add a disclaimer to all their stories about chocolate cake, warning that anyone with severe diabetes might have a reaction to eating a rich, sugar-laden dessert, or that anyone who has celiac disease might have a reaction to the wheat flour. I digress, but in case you read that article and were wondering if you should avoid fava beans, I think you can set your mind at ease and go ahead and enjoy this delightful little seasonal bean.What exactly is a fava bean? They’re a little bit like lima beans, but with a brighter, greener color and a slightly creamier texture. They’re also like very big edamame or soy beans — the bright green beans served with copious amounts of salt as appetizers at many Japanese restaurants. The taste and texture of favas and edamame are almost identical. The larger size of the fava beans is a difference you’ll notice right away. If you’re cooking them, you’ll also realize that fava beans are a lot more work. You have to take them out of the large pod first (and usually only three or four beans are nestled in each pod), boil them and then slip the tender green bean out of its pillowy seed case. With edamame, you just boil some water, toss in the beans and then let your guests pop the beans from the pods themselves.Nutritionally, edamame and fava beans are very different. Favas are high in fiber, providing as much as 30 percent of your daily recommended dose. They provide 40 percent of the folate you need to keep your spine and nervous system healthy (folate is especially important for pregnant women). They also provide 50 percent of your daily allotment of copper and 40 percent of your manganese. Edamame are high in fiber, too, as well as in calcium and, obviously, soy, which is beneficial for many parts of your body but especially your heart (it’s supposed to help keep your cholesterol levels low).From a culinary point of view, though, you can almost use them interchangeably. If you use edamame as anything but an appetizer, however, you will need to peel them. And, as a lazy kind of a gal, I don’t see myself peeling enough of either bean to make, say, a pot of bright green soup.I cooked some favas last week and added them to a salad of mixed greens from my garden, fresh dill, fresh mint, fresh ricotta and roasted beets (yeah, sure, they were fresh, too). I dressed it with just salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. It was fabulous; the creaminess of the beans played off perfectly against the lemon in the salad dressing and the richness of the ricotta. Another way you might use them is to fry up some bacon that’s been cut into small pieces (fresh bacon from one of the local farms can be cut into pancetta-like chunks). Fry the bacon with some diced potatoes. Add the boiled fava beans at the last minute and serve with poached eggs, perhaps with a lemony cream sauce.If you miss the short fava bean season, use edamame. If you’re wondering where to buy them, try the Sharon Farm Market.