Fresh fava beans have a short, glorious season. This recipe for a versatile and tasty fava bean puree lends a bit of spring to any dish. Toss it with pasta, or serve it in a puddle under broiled scallops. Or, use it in the recipe Rockfish with Fava Cream.

Fava cream can stay frozen for up to six months. Add salt when you are ready to use it.

8 lbs fava beans in the pod
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, warmed
6 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
6 Tbsp pine nuts
3 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Shell fava beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add fava beans and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans in cold water. Remove skins by pinching a half-moon of skin off one end of the bean and squeezing the flesh out of the opening. You will end up with about 2 pounds of fava bean flesh.

2. Puree fava bean flesh, stock, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon juice in a food processor.

3. Pour the puree into several small freezer containers, leaving a half-inch headspace to accommodate for its expansion. Once cool, transfer the containers to the freezer.

Makes 3 cups

Adapted from Well-Preserved, by Eugenia Bone (May 2009)