This is typical of an Italian inspired side dish or salad. It can be served luke warm or room temperature and is best served this way. It is simple to throw together and, quite simply, is delicious. <br /> After having purchased dried fava beans and staring at them for a month this salad came to mind and it is the perfect fit. Many salads like this use white beans or garbanzo beans but neither of these two legumes are as satisfying as the fava. <br /> The dried fava you are looking for is blanched of its outer shell and then dried. What this does is makes it possible to cook these beans in no time. No soaking is required and in the end you get a bean that is mealy in a good way. <br /> The favas become a sponge for any flavor you toss them with, so, add a healthy dose of really good extra virgin olive oil, this is where good oil shines like the Tuscan sun, and then add some fresh herbs and you are done. <br /> Many times recipes for this kind of dish include rapini, a type of brassica more closely related to the turnip, instead of kale. Rapini is very bitter and many can’t get past it’s bitterness. The lacinato kale becomes the perfect substitute. <br /> Served with a simple pasta tossed with sage and brown butter and another side and you have a wonderful dinner for a weeknight. <br />

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