Every month we feature a fruit or vegetable that is in season, along with a fun fact or recipe idea.
It’s all about the legumes this month. I already spotted the first chickpea shells lying on the street corner, testament to the old men catching up on village gossip while munching away on fresh, raw ċiċri. However, as good as those may taste, nothing beats the quintessential Maltese bean: ful, or broad beans.
Everyone knows how good they are in the traditional kusksu soup, in the famous pies or in bigilla (technically made with a slightly different bean; ful ta’ ġirba). Therefore, I wanted to share a rather different recipe: a broad bean & goat’s cheese dip. This recipe was introduced to me by my mother, and therefore very fittingly, just in time for Mother’s day this weekend, why not make this delicious dip for Sunday lunch?
Broad bean & goat’s cheese dip
Get your hands on some fresh ful and all you need are creamy goat’s cheese, garlic, olive oil and some s&p. Yes, double shelling the broad beans takes a bit longer, but it is so worth it! If you prefer to keep the recipe totally local, replace the French style soft goat’s cheese with half ġbejniet and half irkotta.
Ingredients & method:
- 250g broad beans, double shelled
- 100g soft goat’s cheese (French style)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 100ml olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Take the broad beans out of their pod and steam or boil the beans for a few minutes until they are a bright, fresh green. This softens them up and makes it much easier to take off the shell around the bean itself. Add the double shelled beans, cheese, chopped garlic, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until it takes on a creamy hummus-like consistency. Taste and add another drizzle of olive oil or s&p if desired. Enjoy with galletti !
