Fava Beans with Shaved Parmesan

Guess what popped up at my grocery store?  Fava beans!  I haven't seen these since our honeymoon to Greece and Italy!  

The island of Santorini has recently officially received a "Protected Designation of Origin" for its famed fava bean from the EU, which is now designated as "fava Santorinis."  

These guys are a labor of love, and here's why: Fava beans come in a rather large pod (6 inches or so) which only contain 3-4 beans per pod.  They must be removed from the pod blanched, and then shelled again, as favas have a secondary skin protecting this yummo bean. 

Ingredients:
1 cups shelled fava beans (approx 1.25 lbs in pods) 
2.5 oz parmesan cheese, shaved
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Remove the fava beans from the pods by blanching the beans for 3 minutes in boiling water to soften skin. Peel off outer skin.
  
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the parmesan into short strips. Combine the fava beans and parmesan in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Serves 3