Rachael
Sheridan, food buyer for Cube restaurant and marketplace on La
Brea Ave, and chef Erin Eastland found fava bean tendrils at the market. The tendrils, the tops of the baby fava bean plant, taste just like a
fava bean and work well in a sauté with brown butter.
Creamy Braised Fava Bean Tendrils
2 Tablespoons butter (unsalted)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp minced shallots
¼ cup white wine
6 cups fava tendrils (left whole)
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
Peperoncini (optional)
Brown
the butter in a large sauté pan, meaning allow the butter to foam and
then turn a light amber color. Remove from heat and immediately add the
olive oil, shallots and fava tendrils. Using tongs, turn the tendrils to
wilt them. Return to low heat and cook until they are wilted by half,
add the wine and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until wine has almost
evaporated, then add the cream and peperoncini. Bring to a boil and cook
until the cream is thick and tendrils are soft. Season to taste.
Farmer Peter Shaner of Valley Center has eight emus in addition to all his crops. Emus are flightless birds that look like ostriches. The shell of their large eggs are a gorgeous green color and almost look like malachite. Peter's selling these eggs, which are the equivalent to 10 chicken eggs and fluff up nicely when scrambled, for $10 each. Peter says they make great pets.