If you have fava beans

When I lived in Morocco, one of my favorite things to eat was ful - fava beans cooked with tomatoes, a trio of spices and fresh herbs. I don't make it very much now because fava beans are sort of hard to come by in Michigan. But here in California they are in abundance! So when I spotted them at the Farmer's Market last week, I bought a bunch and dug out my sister Jouhara's recipe for Moroccan ful. It is easy, flavorful and good for you. Bssah'ha!

Jouhara's Ful
A big bowl of shelled fava beans (anywhere from 1-2# will work)
4-5 medium tomatoes, diced
6-8 carrots, diced (my addition, because I love carrots)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp + ground cumin
1 tsp + ground ginger
1 tsp + salt
1 big spoonful tomato paste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp + chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients except the herbs and pepper in a big pot. If you have a pressure cooker, you may use that. I use a big Le Creuset pot and it works great. Add a bunch of water, at least to cover the ingredients and then a little more. The more water you add, the more sauce you get! Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a low boil for about 1 hour, or until the fava beans are cooked. If you are using a pressure cooker, it should only take about 30 minutes. Add the herbs and season with pepper. Serve in bowls with big pieces of bread for soaking up the sauce, or with homemade croutons.