{"id":621,"date":"2010-03-27T21:22:53","date_gmt":"2010-03-28T01:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/food.hoggardwagner.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2010-03-27T21:22:53","modified_gmt":"2010-03-28T01:22:53","slug":"dinner-march-27-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/food.hoggardwagner.org\/?p=621","title":{"rendered":"dinner, March 27, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cavalo_nero_young_Norwich_Farms\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This meal wouldn’t have begun as it did if I hadn’t spotted those fava beans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While shopping at Buon Italia<\/a> this afternoon I happened to see two or three still-unopened bright green pods on plates lying on the wooden dining table near the back of the store.\u00a0 This was the corner where the owner’s own family and workers take their mid-day meal.\u00a0\u00a0 Along with half a loaf of one of those familiar Italian Easter bread<\/a>s with the embedded eggs, the fava were among the remains of what appeared to have been a beautiful seasonal lunch just ended. \u00a0 I assumed the beans had come from the large greengrocer across the hall, and immediately headed over there to find out.<\/p>\n

Every year at the greenmarket I discover I’ve somehow missed out on the earliest tender beans (which require no cooking) and I have to resign myself to the long preparation process needed to enjoy the pleasures of this ancient legume.\u00a0 This spring it may look like I’ve finally gotten ahead of the game, but I think the folks who bring our local<\/em> bounty to Union Square will still be keeping the youngest, tenderest stock all for themselves.<\/p>\n