Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Springtime fava bean harvest

For the first time ever I planted fava beans in my plot this winter and they really took off. Fava beans do great in our garden and they're an excellent winter crop. You can grow fava beans to help enrich your soil because they're an excellent nitrogen fixer. To do that, you'll need to cut down your plants right after they flower and before the beans start growing. Check out this video to learn more.

I decided to let my fava beans grow and ended up with a big basketful of beans to enjoy for dinner last weekend. Have you ever cooked with fava beans? I found a simple recipe but discovered that they're a bit labor intensive to prepare. The good news though is that they were yummy and worth the work!

I'd love to document what's growing in the garden and what folks are harvesting throughout the year. Send me your garden photos and let me know if you'd like to post to the blog.

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