It’s the 2021 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®! For The Father, it’s The Fava!

The theme this year is my version of a Spring Garden Party in honor of the Academy Awards being held so late in April. Leading with dishes that can be “set it and forget it” totally works for me. Here’s the second scrumptious appetizer! 

This is an excellent but tough movie. Your heart aches for every character. The performances are stellar. It stays with you a bit afterwards to be sure.

And while looking at the title of the movie with this menu on my mind, suddenly it leaped out at me – the FAVA!!! Can Anthony Hopkins ever get away from that iconic moment in Silence of the Lambs? I think not. So in honor of him, I created the fava bean purée as a tea sandwich, which is a nod to the London locale of the movie. 

It almost became a side dish but that was going to be too boring. The flavor of this purée is fresh and bright! The addition of feta and radish adds to it. I have to thank my friend Anoushka Brand for settling my mind on the additions – I’d been musing with a soft cheese and cucumber but she made this suggestion and it was spot on! Did I mention she’s British so she ought to know?   

Creating a recipe where the ingredients can just go in a food processor or blender and magically become a yummy spread is always so much fun! A few pulses and you’re done! 

I do have a thing for individual portions. And this works beautifully for this year’s theme! Hurray! 

Happy Oscars! 

Annette

Print Recipe

Fava Bean Purée Tea Sandwiches – 2021 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®!

Author: kitch-annette.coredesignexperts.com Courses: Appetizer

Difficulty: Advanced Prep Time 20 mins Total Time 20 mins

Servings: 8

Description

Annette Zito, KitchAnnette™

Ingredients

Servings

The Purée:

• 2 cups fava beans, shelled and skinned
• ¹⁄₄ shallot, minced
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• ¹⁄₂ cup extra virgin olive oil

The Sandwich:

• 1 baguette, 1 sliced into 1" rounds
• ¹⁄₂ cup radish, sliced thinly
• 3 oz feta cheese, sliced thinly

Instructions

1. Microwave beans on high for 2 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool.
2. Add beans, shallots, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a food processor and pulse to combine. Slowly add 1/2 the olive oil as you pulse. Add more oil if you like your purée less thick.
3. Spoon purée onto bread rounds. Add a layer of feta, then radish slices, and finish with some cracked pepper and a drizzle of oil. Serve.