Mario Batali celebrates good old-fashioned home cooking in his new cookbook, “Farm to Table.”
Batali, who says farmers are the true rock stars, pays homage to the American farmer through beautiful photos, touching anecdotes and 100 mouth-watering recipes in Farm to Table.
Mario shares insights from 14 of his top chef friends from Maine to Los Angeles, who discuss the importance of simple ingredients for making incredible dishes.
Batali’s delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes include Lamb Shank Sloppy Joes and Fava Bean Guacamole (see below), as well as Salmon with Strawberry Salsa.
Batali lives in New York City with his wife, Susi Cahn, and their sons Leo, 16, and Benno, 18. Mario is the author of 10 cookbooks, including the James Beard-winning Molto Italiano.
Mario’s Fava Bean Guacamole recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 pounds fava beans, shelled
6 scallions, minced
½ small red onion, cut into ¹⁄8-inch dice
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño, cut into ¹⁄8-inch dice
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
Tortilla chips or crudités, for serving
Instructions:
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add the kosher salt.
Set up an ice bath with 4 quarts of cold water and 2 cups of ice.
Boil the favas until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and shock them in the ice bath. Drain again and gently pinch the ends with a finger and thumb to break the skin and push out the bean.
Place the skinned favas and all the remaining ingredients into a molcajete or a mortar and pestle (or just a nice bowl) and mash just until a little chunky.
Season with coarse sea salt and serve immediately with tortilla chips and/or crudités.
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