FAVA & LEMON CROSTINI Recipe

To make the crostini, slice up a baguette. Place bread slices on a sheet pan, brush one side with olive oil and place in a 375F oven for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Immediately rub with a piece of garlic.

To pod and peel the fava beans, break off the top of the pod, and then slide your thumb along the pod's vein to split the pod into two. DO this over a colander to catch the falling bean.

Now you will see a very white bean. You still need to peel this thick membrane. To do so, bring a pot of salted water to boil, blanch the beans (30 secs) and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Drain. Pick up a bean, and make a small tear at the top of the bean - where it used to connect to the shell. Then gently squeeze /pop out the bright green fava bean. Set aside - refrain from munching on them.

To make the garlic confit, put the olive oil and whole garlic in a small pot and bring to a simmer. lower heat and gently roast the garlic for 20 minutes until the garlic is soft and tender.

Place the fava bean, the garlic confit (oil and all) into a large bowl and gently mash with a fork. For a rustic texture, leave some chunks behind. Add basil and salt and pepper.

Spread a tablespoon of the fava bean mash on the crostini. Using a microplane rasp, zest some lemon rind on top of the mash. Using a vegetable peeler, gently shave a thin slice of pecorino and place on top of the crostini. Finish with the lemon oil and a twist of black pepper.