L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 38 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES I t ' s s p r i n g t i m e i n L o s Angeles. The rain seems to be over; the days are getting warmer and longer; plants are growing and flowers blooming all over the place. My vegetable garden is filled with kale, Swiss c h a r d , l e t t u c e s a n d F A V A BEANS! Fava beans are eaten all over Western Europe and the Middle East and grow well in Southern California's climate. But fava beans are a lot of work to pre- pare. First you must free them from their pods. Second, you generally steam them and shock them in ice water. Finally, you free them from their skin, which can be tedious. This multi-step process can seem daunting, but the resulting bright green bean is a taste of springtime, well worth all the effort! Favas can brighten up many springtime dishes with their fresh, zesty taste. Along with mint, these beans make a great addition to pasta dishes, salads and this cheese tort. I recommend you make this tort several days in advance of e a t i n g . T h e f l a v o r i m p r o v e s after a few days tightly wrapped with foil in the fridge. Ingredients Crust • 2 cups flour • 1 cup chilled unsalted but- ter, cubed • ¾ teaspoon salt • ½ cup very cold water Filling • 2 lbs or so fresh unshelled fava beans (Note 1) • 1 bunch mint • 1 lb whole milk ricotta • 1 c u p g r a t e d P a r m e s a n cheese • 1 lb whole milk mozzarel- JOSEPH BECCI la, grated (Note 2) • ½ lb Fontina cheese, grated (Note 2) • ½ lb Gruyère cheese, grat- ed (Note 2) • 6 large eggs (1 reserved) • Salt and pepper Instructions Dough In a food processor, pulse flour, butter, and salt until butter is pea-size. Slowly add ½ cup very cold water through the feed tube and pulse just until dough comes together, adding another tablespoon water if needed. Turn dough onto a work surface and press into a mound. Cut off one- fourth of dough, form both por- tions into flat disks, wrap air- tight in wax paper, and chill at least 2 hour and up to 2 days. Filling 1. Prepare an ice water bath. Shell the fava beans discarding the tough husks. Boil the fava beans in salted water for 2 min- utes or so until the bright green Fava beans are eaten all over Western Europe and the Middle East and grow well in Southern California's climate Fava bean and mint "torta rustica" THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 beans starts to turn pale yellow. Drain the beans and plunge into t h e i c e w a t e r b a t h t o c o o l . Finally, pinch the fava beans and using your fingernail, free the super-green fava bean from the interior shell into a bowl. You might search for a Youtube video to see this process. It's the love of Italian grandmothers!! 2. Remove the mint from the stems. Stack the leaves and thin- ly slice with a sharp knife. 3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment installed, add the ricotta cheese and eggs and mix until combined. 4. Add the remaining cheese and mix to loosely combine. D o n ' t a l l o w t h e m i x t u r e t o become a paste. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust the sea- soning. 5. Finally, add the shelled fava beans and mint and gently combine. Don't over mix. Assembly 1. Place the larger piece of d o u g h o n a f l o u r e d s u r f a c e . Moving quickly, roll into a cir- c l e a b o u t 1 4 i n . a c r o s s . L a y dough in 9-inch springform pan, pressing on bottom and up sides, and allowing excess dough to hang over edge. 2. Spoon the prepared filling into the dough-lined pan patting it down gently. 3 . R o l l o u t t h e r e m a i n i n g piece of dough in the same man- ner as before to form the top crust. 4. Lay the top crust on the pan. With your fingers, press the edges of dough in the pan and the dough circle. Fold the dough into the spring-form pan so that when you release the torta from the pan, that the crust will not overhang and break. 5 . P r e h e a t o v e n t o 3 7 5 degrees with a rack set on lowest level. Whisk an egg yolk with a little water and brush some over top of torta. 6. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. If the edges begin to brown too fast, cover the torta with a loose piece of aluminum foil. 7. Let cool on a rack for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. 8. Carefully release the torta from the pan, then loosen from the bottom of the pan and lift pan off torta. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature. Notes: Note 1: Fresh unshelled fava beans are available in California Farmers Markets in the Spring. If unavailable, use fresh English peas. This dish isn't worth it if you use frozen favas. Note 2: Grate these cheeses using the grating disc on your food processor. Special equipment: 9-inch spring form pan. Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalianTable.com.

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