My fava bean crop was a disaster this year—diseased leaves, low yield. I have no clue why, but the best gardener I know had the same issues so I’m not taking it personally. The upshot is that I have had to be miserly with the favas and the harvest is ending way too soon. In my garden, it’s now or never.

This bruschetta recipe produces a lot of pleasure from just a few fava beans. I learned it from John McConnell, chef at the bruschetta truck in St. Helena. (Bruschetteria is the truck’s official name, and it’s my favorite place for a quick lunch in Napa Valley.) Blanch and peel the favas, chop them and fold them into fresh ricotta with a little grated pecorino, minced green onion or chives, grated lemon peel and a scraping of garlic. Spread on lightly toasted, garlic-rubbed bread. Open the rosé.

I use Bellwether Farms ricotta or Calabro’s hand-dipped ricotta. Check the package label. You want a ricotta with no gums or stabilizers. (Yuck. What’s guar gum doing in there?) My local Whole Foods sells the Calabro ricotta in bulk, so you can buy just enough for the recipe.

Many commercial ricotta producers use acid (typically vinegar) for coagulation. It works fast and it’s predictable, but it has to be stirred in, which disturbs the curds and makes the ricotta firmer. A few producers, like Bellwether and Calabro, use a culture instead. “It takes a lot longer (to coagulate),” says Liam Callahan, Bellwether’s cheesemaker, “but you can be much more gentle, and you get this incredible flavor.”

The 2015 rosés are front and center in wine shops now. If you’re looking for the perfect partner, this bruschetta should be a contender. 

Bruschetta with Fresh Ricotta, Fava Beans and Mint

If you can grill the bread over coals instead of toasting it, so much the better. If you can't get fava beans, you can substitute 1/2 cup petite peas.

• 1 pound fresh fava beans
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated pecorino romano
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 teaspoons finely minced green onion or chives
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste
• 1 small garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or finely minced
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 12 slices day-old country-style bread, approximately 4 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Shell the fava beans. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat; have ready a bowl of ice water. Plunge the beans into the boiling water and boil for about 1 minute. Drain in a sieve and immediately transfer to the ice water. When the beans are cool, drain again and peel. The skin should slip off easily. You should have about 1/2 cup peeled fava beans. Chop coarsely or pulse in a small food processor.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the ricotta, pecorino, 1 teaspoon olive oil, green onion and lemon zest. Add garlic a little at a time, tasting as you go; you may not want it all. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon zest if desired. The mixture should have a lively lemon taste.

Toast or grill the bread on both sides; the center should remain soft. Immediately rub one side of each toast with a halved clove of garlic. Using the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, brush both sides of each toast with oil.

Transfer the toasts to a work surface, garlic side up. Top with the ricotta spread, dividing it evenly. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Garnish with torn mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Hearts of Butter Lettuce with Fava Beans and Pecorino

Before fava beans vanish for another year, try them in this simple spring salad from The Cheese Course. Choose a sheep’s milk cheese that’s not too soft and not too dry; you need to be able to shave it. I like pecorino pepato (with black peppercorns) but Manchego or Abbaye de Belloc would work, too. The lovely photo is by Victoria Pearson.

 Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
   
•  1 pound fresh fava beans
• 2 heads butter lettuce
• 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
• A small wedge of pecorino or Manchego (see introduction)

To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes to allow the shallot flavor to mellow. Taste and adjust the balance as needed.

Shell the fava beans. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat; have ready a bowl of ice water. Plunge the fava beans into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook until tender (taste one to be sure), about 1 minute or longer if the beans are large. Drain in a sieve and immediately transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again and peel.

Remove the outer green leaves from each head of butter lettuce until you reach the pale green heart. (Save the outer leaves for sandwiches or other uses.) Wash the hearts, tear into small pieces and dry thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce and 1 tablespoon of the parsley with enough of the dressing to coat the leaves lightly. Taste for salt. Divide the leaves among 4 salad plates or arrange on a large platter. With a cheese plane, shave the cheese into thin shards and scatter over the lettuce. Toss the fava beans with enough dressing to coat them lightly. Scatter over the salad, then garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 4