Portobellos with Fava Bean Puree

I received the most wonderful fresh fava beans from a friend's garden yesterday and used them to make this delicious fava bean puree.

I was really winging it, but the end result was tasty well beyond my expectations. And such a beautiful green color. The puree was made with green garlic, fava beans, olive oil, cilantro, lemon juice and salt and pepper. It would make a great high protein dip or sauce for vegetables, crackers, or baguette. I broiled the puree inside small portobellos brushed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and topped them with tangy Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese and pine nuts.


Portobellos with Fava Bean Puree:

6 small stuffing portobellos
1 cup podded fava beans
1 stalk of green garlic, finely chopped
2-3 Tbsp. cilantro leaves
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
Squirt of lemon juice
salt & pepper
Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese
pine nuts

Turn on the broiler.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the fava beans for 2 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the bitter outside skin (it should slip off easily).

Put the peeled fava beans into a mini prep, along with the finely chopped green garlic and half of the olive oil. Puree. Add the cilantro leaves, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil and puree until smooth. The puree shouldn't be stiff, so add more oil or lemon juice to get a soft puree that holds together.

Remove the stem and skins from the mushrooms and brush the inside and outside with olive oil. Add a drop of balsamic vinegar to the inside of each mushroom and brush to cover inside evenly. Put the mushrooms on a baking sheet covered with foil and put under the broiler for 2 minutes. Remove.

Spoon the fava bean puree into the mushrooms and top with crumbled blue cheese and pine nuts. Return to the broiler for 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Postscript: Blogger has done some recent upgrades that are causing some issues for me. For a few days, I couldn't upload photographs and now, despite my settings to the contrary, my posts are coming without allowing comments. I also can't preview my posts. I have now corrected the comments to being allowed on this post. Apologies for any inconvenience.