Mediterranean Artichoke and Fresh Fava Stew

If you want to ocassionally indulge in the pleasures of a good dry aged steak, you need to cut back here and there with a veg night. Here is a recent tasty venture that did not degenerate into rabbit food.

JA

Mediterranean Artichoke and Fresh Fava Stew

Here is my quicker version of the recipe at the bottom.  Adding the mushrooms and the bottom four ingredients on my list really amps up the flavor.

INGREDIENTS AND PREP

6 – 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms (regular or crimini)

1 can of Artichoke bottoms, sliced into ½ in chunks

1 lemon for juice

1/4 cup olive oil

3 large Scallions chopped - both white and green parts

3 large garlic cloves, minced,

1 can White Cannelini beans or bean of your choice, rinsed

1 ounce of fresh dill chopped

1 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs of Spicy Mustard like Zatarains

2 Tbs Cream Sherry

1 Bottle of Stout, Porter or other hearty beer

Additional Water or Chicken broth as needed

COOKING

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Add the garlic when hot, stirring for a minute and then add the mushrooms. LOWER THE HEAT TO LOW.  Let the mushrooms lose their water for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the scallions, and cook, stirring, until tender, about three minutes. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients including the beer.  Add enough water or chicken broth to just cover everything, and salt to taste.

4. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low 10 – 15 minutes minutes until the broth is fragrant. Taste, adjust and serve.

Optional: Turn the heat to high, and reduce the liquid in the pan by about a third. Stir in a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Serve warm.

Yield:  3 or 4 portions

Beverage: Pair with a hearty Beer or White wine.

Serve with good crusty bread and Bruschetta topping like an olive tapenade.

Variations:  

1. Use Reconstituted Chinese Black Mushrooms and their cooking water instead of regular mushrooms.

2. Use the fresh ingredients as recommended below but it will take longer.

June 13, 2011  NY Times

Mediterranean Artichoke and Fresh Fava Stew

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Favas, artichokes, spring onions and green garlic are all fleetingly in season at the same time. Here’s a way to use them all together. This dish is based on a Greek olive oil recipe, meaning that the vegetables are traditionally stewed in two or three times as much oil as I use here. I substitute water for some of the oil.

12 baby artichokes, trimmed

2 lemons

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch of spring onions, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced, or 1 bulb of green garlic, skinned and minced

3 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled and skinned

1/4 cup chopped fresh fennel or dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Trim the artichokes, cut in half and immediately submerge in a bowl of water acidulated with the juice of 1/2 lemon.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for a minute until fragrant. Drain the artichokes, and add the skinned fava beans, the fennel or dill, and the juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) and the remaining olive oil. Add enough water to just cover everything, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the broth fragrant.

3. Turn the heat to high, and reduce the liquid in the pan by about a third. Stir in a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Serve warm.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: You can prepare this a day or two ahead of serving, and reheat on top of the stove. Leftovers will be good for four to five days. The color of the favas will fade, but the flavors won’t.

Nutritional information per serving: 316 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fats; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 43 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams dietary fiber; 239 grams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 17 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of "The Very Best of Recipes for Health."