Fresh fava beans. Photo courtesy
TheDeliciousLife.com. Check out their
recipe for a charming appetizer or hors
d’oeuvre, Fava Bean Purée with Feta and
Garlic Toasts.

Also known as the broad bean, faba bean, field bean and other names, Vicia faba is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) that is native to North Africa, possibly Egypt.

Fava is the Italian word for broad bean, and is the term most commonly used in the U.S. In the U.K. and Australia, broad bean is the common term.

According to Wikipedia, fava beans are “among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow.” As such, they are cultivated extensively worldwide.

Along with lentils, peas and chickpeas, they are believed to have become part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 B.C.E. or earlier. They were popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The beans, which resemble edamame and lima beans, are green with a buttery texture and an earthy flavor.

WAYS TO ENJOY FAVA BEANS

Fava beans are a wonderful addition to any meal, hot or cold. If you search online for “fava bean recipes,” you’ll find lots from which to choose. Here are some ideas for starters:

 
Another idea: Egypt’s national dish, ful medames, is a stew of fava beans with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, usually eaten for breakfast (but you can serve it with any meal). It is a staple throughout the Middle East.

We keep tuna pouches at the office as better-for-you options for lunch and snacking. Photo courtesy Starkist.

We’ve been enjoying tuna pouches since they first appeared. Especially at the office, they provide a convenient, better-for-you option for lunch or snacking.

We especially like the flavored tuna pouches, which are tasty enough to require no mayonnaise. We just add the contents to a piece of toast, or onto leafy greens.

StarKist has expanded the flavored tuna options with a new product line, StarKist Gourmet Selects Pouches, that includes real veggies in each pouch. We received samples of the three internationally-inspired flavors:

 
There are recipes for cooked dishes using the tuna on the back of each pouch.

The new Gourmet Selects pouches are in a much smaller size: 2.6 ounces, good for kids but not enough for this not-so-delicate eater. Still, we’d be happy to have a carton of them delivered to the office to take the place of our often less-good-for-you snacks.
 
NEWS FOR EXPECTANT & NEW MOMS

Some pregnant women have limited their fish and seafood intake, due to past studies concerned about the amount of mercury in some fish.

A new report from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee encourages women who are pregnant, may become pregnant or are breastfeeding to eat at least 8 to 12 ounces (2 to 3 servings) of fish each week.

According to 2014 FDA research, women can safely consume up to 67 ounces—33 servings—of canned albacore tuna each week.

The advice, expected to be adopted and included in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, comes at a time when seafood consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time low, especially among moms and moms-to-be.

Thanks to Bumble Bee for spreading the word about the new recommendations.

The “dirty dozen” of produce refers to those fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residues. If you’re going to buy organic versus conventional produce, these are the foods to buy.

Since agricultural practices change, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) creates an annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposure to chemical pesticides.

It ranks 48 popular fruits and vegetables by their pesticide loads. The rankings are based on lab tests done [mostly] by the USDA, which tests more than 34,000 samples of common food crops for pesticide residue.

Rinsing and peeling conventional produce does not remove all of the chemical residue. Some plants absorb pesticides through the peel.

Nor does washing and peeling change a food’s ranking, because the USDA lab tests produce as it is typically eaten: washed and, when applicable, peeled.

But the EWG underscores that the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks from pesticide exposure. In other words, eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating enough fruits and vegetables at all.
 
WHY SOME PRODUCE HAS TO BE “DIRTY”

Crops differ in their hardiness—whether they’re more or less susceptible to intense heat, cold, rainfall, drought, fungus or other disease, etc.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it also has the highest amount of pesticide residue. The solution: Buy organic! Photo courtesy US Apples.

Organic farmers use natural pesticides and fertilizers—no chemicals. The expense of growing crops this way leads to the higher cost of organic produce.

Some shocking statistics:

Eat all the asparagus you like: They’re one of the most pesticide-free veggies. Photo courtesy California Asparagus Commission.

THE 2015 “DIRTY DOZEN” FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Ranked from highest (dirtiest) to lowest (cleanest of the Dirty Dozen) are some of our favorite fruits and vegetables:

 
Wow!

We’ll also buy more of the Clean Fifteen, produce with the least amount of pesticide residue.
 
THE “CLEAN FIFTEEN” FRUITS & VEGETABLES

 
As an American consumer, the choice is yours!
  

After limited pickings during the winter months, spring has begun to yield food treasures. But you may have to be a good treasure hunter to find things that are new (to you) and special.

One tip is to ask when you see something unfamiliar, like the fuzzy green “beans” in the photo. They’re actually green (unripe) almonds.

For a window of three to four weeks, reports Hannah Kaminsky, green almonds may be hiding in plain sight at your local farmers market. You may need a sharp eye: Less known products are often placed behind the more popular fare. Writes Hannah of these immature nuts:

“One would never mistake them for the raw or roasted almonds they can become, which is part of the appeal. Catch familiar nuts on the unripe side and you’ll be treated to a whole new snacking sensation.

“The fuzzy exteriors belie a firm, crunchy texture, wholly edible and entirely delicious from the outside shell to the kernel. Their short window of availability is dictated by the maturation of the almond, as it grows and transforms into the crunchy nut we all know and love.

“You can also add them to salads, whole or chopped; use them for garnishes on chilled soups (make Spanish chilled almond soup with them!); combine them with spring peas; or otherwise toss them into any raw or cooked food.

“But they’re best when allowed to shine solo. At most, cure them in a lightly sweet and sour brine, and you’ll have the stuff of pickle plate dreams.”

Their soft-yet-firm texture can be like a grape, depending on how unripe they are when picked. But there’s a sense of the nut it’s going to become.

Almond lovers: Head to your farmers market, or find a friend with an almond tree!

[2] To stop ice cream cones from dripping out the bottom, press a mini-marshmallow into the bottom, or cut up a standard marshmallow (photo © Tèo Gelato).

If you received marshmallows for Easter and are looking to do more than snack from the box, you can make hot chocolate, s’mores, or rocky road brownies, cookies or ice cream.

You can add them to peanut butter sandwiches and pancake batter, sliced or cut to size. You can make fruit and marshmallow skewers, or recipes with marshmallows from ambrosia salad to sweet potatoes.

You can dip them in chocolate fondue. Add them hot or cold cereal. Toss coffee-flavored marshmallows into hot coffee.

Use them as a pie topper: Bake the pie at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are toasted.

Or, try these less obvious uses for marshmallows:

 
 
HOW TO KEEP MARSHMALLOWS SOFT

Marshmallows should be stored in an airtight container. But if they begin to harden, you can:

 
 
IF YOU HAVE TOO MANY MARSHMALLOWS

Stick them in the freezer, in the storage bag with the fresh bread.

 
 
TO UNSTICK MARSHMALLOWS

If your marshmallows have clumped together, unstick them by placing them in a plastic bag and adding a teaspoon or two of cornstarch or powdered sugar.

Seal the bag and shake it vigorously to evenly coat the marshmallows. They should begin to come apart in a few minutes.
 
Check out the history of marshmallows and much more about these sweet pillows.
 
 
National Marshmallow Day is August 30th.