Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh fava beans (see note)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove peeled garlic
1 cup arugula
1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz. Pecorino cheese
4 oz. Parmesan cheese
enough French bread for 24 quarter-inch slices
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Remove the beans from their pods.
   
2. Boil beans for three to five minutes in rapidly boiling water until soft.
   
3. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
   
4. Once cooled, remove thick outer skin from remaining beans with a paring knife or your fingers. Reserve about 1/2-cup for garnish.
   
5. Combine remaining beans, olive oil, garlic, arugula, mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in bowl of a food processor. Pulse to a thick paste or spread. Sample and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
   
6. Slice French bread into 24 pieces. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
   
7. Spoon about a teaspoon of the spread on each crostini, and garnish with the remaining
   whole favas.
   
8. Thinly shave the cheeses over the spread, add freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Note: Fava beans are also known as broad beans, horse beans and Windsor beans. They are native to Africa but China is the world's largest producer of fava beans. Favas come in large, long pods up to nine inches long. They need to be shelled and the shelled beans boiled for three to five minutes to remove the thick inedible skin that surrounds the soft, buttery interior bean. Store fava bean pods in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Raw shelled beans are best cooked within a few days. Cooked beans can be stored for a day or two in the refrigerator.