This recipe should really be titled in English because you will never see it in France. Why? Because corn is for pigs! Oui, c'est vrais!
The one time I found and purchased fresh corn at my local Parisian farmer's market, the vendor gave me four kisses on the cheek instead of the normal two. He was overjoyed that some one was actually buying it. I did notice many raised eyebrows in the line behind me along with a few whispers. Oh well, I'm American, I seem to stir up trouble no matter what I do...
Since I'm home in San Francisco for this month I've been gorging myself on fresh local produce because we don't see a lot of it in Paris. Most of the farmer's markets in Paris are not farmer's selling their fruits and vegetables, but resellers buying the produce from Rungis (the largest super market in the world) and selling it at a premium price. It's even difficult for restaurants to get direct produce deliveries from farmers.
I picked up all my salad ingredients straight from the coastal farms around Pescadero plus a flat of the jucy strawberries and a bag of sugary sweet peas. I left a trail of pea pods and strawberry tops over the mountain and through La Honda just in case I got lost and needed to find my way back.
Fava beans, although a little labor intensive to prep, are worth the effort. They are cheery in color, high in nutritional value, flavorful, and the pods add nitrogen to your compost pile. Farmer's often grow fava beans as rotation crops to boost their soil.
Arguably Italians really have the best recipes for Fava beans, but there are a few traditional French recipes including puree of fava bean soup. I prefer to leave the bean whole because I think their shape is really cute. I like the fatness of the bean with it's little hip curves. Fava beans got back baby!
This recipe is versatile and goes with just about anything barbecued – fish, chicken, meat – whatever! It's bright and cheery and it tastes good.
For recipe click on "continue reading..."
Technorati Tags: cherry, cherry tomatoes, corn, farm, fava beans, fieve, peas, pescadero, recipe, salad, warm
Warm Fava Bean, Corn, and Cherry Tomato Salad
serves 4
Ingredients
2 ears of sweet, sweet corn
1 basket of colorful cherry tomatoes
1 big bag of fava beans (around 10-15 pods)
5 leaves of basil shredded fine
1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground pepper
Gros sel or kosher salt
Instructions
1. Place a large pot of water on to boil with 2 Tablespoon gros sel or Kosher salt. While water is heating up shell pods. Prepare an ice water bath for beans.
2. Once water is boiling add beans and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Take one bean out after the first minute and dunk in the ice water bath. Peel off outer skin and check for doneness. Bean should be bright green, easy to peel, and firm. NOT mushy. If they are al dente remove beans to ice-water bath with a slotted spoon to stop cooking. If you see the skins starting to come off earllier remove beans to ice-water bath immediately
3. Peel off outer white-ish bean skin and reserve bright green favas.
4. Shuck corn and cut it off the cobb. Reserve.
5. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Reserve.
6. Shred basil fine.
7. Heat a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to medium hot. Make sure oil is hot before cooking! Add corn and flash fry for 1-2 minutes stirring often. Corn should start to brown a little bit. Add 1 more Tablespoon of olive oil and the favas. Toss to heat through. Once beans and corn are cooked to your liking (which I hope is al dente or tender-crisp) remove from heat and add vinegar, basil, cherry tomatoes, a big three finger pinch of fleur de sel, and freshly ground pepper. Stir or toss to incorporate and serve warm!
I am shocked.
Parisians don't eat corn??? Shame on them!!!
Posted by: chocolatechic | July 20, 2007 at 05:31 PM
You do see it occasionally, in a salade composée, but basically Ms. Glaze is quite right -- it's animal fodder.
BTW I'm a fava bean lover, with Tuscan soup recipes I'm not afraid of using. I eat the sometimes leathery outer shell an' all. Shame to waste it.
Posted by: Stu | July 21, 2007 at 08:50 AM
Amy,
Give me a call, let me know the best way to reach you while you guys are in town.
Cherlene
Posted by: Cherlene Wright | July 21, 2007 at 05:57 PM
That sounds so so delicious. And if ever there was a reason to be glad I don't live in Paris, lack of fresh, sweet corn in the Summer is a good one! I'll be picking up the ingredients at the farmer's market this Tuesday for a bbq for an out of town guest on Wednesday night. Merci!
Posted by: Jessica | July 22, 2007 at 01:24 PM
You're in San Francisco? Until WHEN?
Come to a farm with me!!!
Posted by: Tana | July 23, 2007 at 02:00 PM
It has absolutely no nutritional value, but I love corn!
Posted by: Bob | July 24, 2007 at 08:48 AM
Hey Ms. Glaze,
I finally put your photo together for a little piece on Postcards... Al La Carte Postales!
Here: http://lalandedigitalpress.blogspot.com/
Li Chai Yum!
Matthew
Posted by: MATTHEW ROSE | July 24, 2007 at 10:32 AM
Matthew!!! – that is soooooo cooool!!! Man you are talented. I hope everyone reading this post goes to your site. I especially like the one with food, it looks familiar (lol). http://lalandedigitalpress.blogspot.com
Tana – Really? You would take me on some of your farm shoots? I would absolutely love to do that. Yippeee!
Bob – It has fiber I think. And something else that fattens up pigs ;-) that's nutritional enough for me.
Posted by: Ms. glaze | July 24, 2007 at 10:55 AM
thank you! Now I begin to understand why Fred always turns his nose up at corn
Posted by: sam | July 25, 2007 at 08:58 PM
Hi !
//.../... Most of the farmer's markets in Paris are not farmer's selling their fruits and vegetables, but resellers buying the produce from Rungis (the largest super market in the world) and selling it at a premium price. .../... //
This goes double for the allegedly "bio" foods being sold to (gullible) consumers at the Boulevard Raspail outdoor market(s) ... the Paris bobos will believe absolutely anything ... as will the writers of guidebooks and travel columns ...(sigh)
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | July 27, 2007 at 03:44 AM
L'Amerloque – Yes! I couldn't agree more. It's really frustrating.
Posted by: Ms. glaze | July 27, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Yes, the apallingly unobservant and un-integrated Los Angeles Times correspondent Susan Spano was totally taken in by the Raspail "marché biologique". Paris and LA Times readers are both better without her.
Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris | July 27, 2007 at 03:49 PM
It saddens me that the French have this horror of corn. Think of all the lovely sweet corn they miss!
While on a visit to in-laws a few years ago, they actually had some corn for sale in an Auchan supermarket. I bought some for a salad and was unpleasantly surprised by the corn which was starchy and tasteless. If THAT is what they think we eat, no wonder they think we're weird.
Posted by: Nerissa | July 28, 2007 at 02:10 AM