Fava bean and garlic scape bruschetta

A beautifully green toast topping. While fava beans belong to early summer, I have cheated before with very good frozen Italian fave, from Trader Joe's.

(You could make this with peas, instead, and use ordinary bulb garlic.)

Fava Bean and Garlic Scape Bruschetta - serves 4 as an appetizer

2 cups shelled fava beans
10 garlic scapes, tough ends trimmed off
8 stalks mint
1 head green garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 slices sourdough, toasted and cut in half
1 clove garlic

Cook the shelled fava beans and scapes with the mint and green garlic in salted, boiling water till barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and discard the mint. Shell a dozen of the favas, leaving the rest intact. Cut the buds with some tender stem from 5 scape stalks for a garnish and reserve.

Combine the fava beans, scapes, green garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, a hefty pinch of salt and pepper to taste in a food processor. Pulse lightly. You want a very rough paste. Taste, and add more salt or lemon if necessary.

Just before serving, rub the toasted sourdough with the garlic clove. Top each piece of toast with a generous spoonful of the bean and scape paste. Arrange the toast pieces on a plate and distribute the reserved peeled fave beans, and garlic scapes over the top. If you're feeling rich drizzle some more EV olive oil over the top.

Stir leftover fava-scape paste into risotto, or pasta.

Or make more toast.