English Pea, Fava and Green Bean Melange with a Lemon Garlic Scape Sauce
Spring and summer vegetables blend together when topped with a quick lemon garlic scape sauce and topped with thinly sliced radishes and spring onions.
Author: Lisa Colburn Stewart
Ingredients
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
¾ lb. fava bean pods (1/2 cup shelled fava beans)
¾ lb. English pea pods (1 cup shelled peas)
2-3 radishes, trimmed and sliced thinly
2-3 spring onions or scallions, white and light greens sliced thinly into long strips (vertically)
4-5 thin and tender garlic scapes, roughly chopped (about a ½ cup chopped)
1 lemon juiced (about 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil, or more, if desired.
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Large handful pea shoots or watercress leaves
Instructions
Heat a large stock pot half way with water and bring to a boil. *I find it easiest to use a pot that has a strainer insert as we will be cooking the vegetables quickly in batches.
Fill a large bowl with cold ice water and place on the counter, next to the pot, if possible.
Remove fava beans from the pod. They will still have a shell covering the bean. When water comes to a boil, place fava beans in water and boil for about 3 minutes. Remove and place into ice water immediately.
Place shelled peas into the boiling water, cook for 2 minutes.
While the peas cook, gently squeeze the fava bean out of its shell jacket and place the emerald green beans into a large bowl. Discard the jacket. (I won't lie, it may seem tedious but is so worth it! A few extra family hands and this takes just a minute or two.)
Using the strainer, remove peas from the water and place into the ice bath.
Place green beans into the hot water. Cook for 5 minutes or until crisp tender.
Using a slotted spoon, remove peas from ice water and add to the fava beans in the large bowl.
Remove green beans and place into ice water (you may need to add a little more ice)
Remove from the ice bath to a dry towel and mop up any excess moisture. No need to be thorough, they just shouldn't be dripping wet.
In a blender, combine the chopped garlic scapes, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil
Blend on high until garlic scapes are almost completely dissolved. The result will be a thick sauce. If you like, add additional olive oil to thin into more of a vinaigrette.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, place green beans on a plater and scatter with the pea and fava bean mix. Toss with the pea shoots and scatter radish and scallions on top. Drizzle with a bit of the sauce and serve remaining sauce on the side. Or, you can toss it all as a salad.
Recipe by FamilyandForks at https://www.familyandforks.com/english-pea-fava-green-bean-melange-lemon-garlic-scape-sauce/