Favas take time to prepare, so grab a glass of something, sit down and decompress.
The beans first must be removed from their cozy, down-insulated pods. Then the shelled beans must be dropped into boiling water, cooked for 2 minutes and dunked into an ice-cold water bath. Finally, the bitter outer skin must be removed, revealing a glistening, scrumptious, shamrock-green nugget.
That nugget is the endosperm, the material that would have nourished the embryo as it grew and formed a new plant. In this case, the nugget nourishes the cook and special friends. Makes about 12 appetizer servings.
Follow the procedure outlined above for the favas: Peel them out of their pods, blanch in boiling water, shock in an ice-water bath and then pop them out of their bitter seed coats.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the favas and mint; stir to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute to warm the favas. Season with the black pepper to taste.
Transfer the fava-onion mixture to a mixing bowl; use a potato masher to smash the beans into a rough paste. Add the yogurt and the cheese; stir until well incorporated.
Cut the baguette or ficelle into thin slices and toast lightly. Cut the remaining whole clove of garlic in half; rub the cut sides on the tops of the slices, then top each toasted slice with a tablespoon or two of the mashed fava mixture.
Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the top broiling element; preheat the broiler. Have a large baking sheet at hand.
Arrange the toasted slices with the fava mixture on top in a single layer on the baking sheet. Broil for about 3 minutes or just until the cheese in the mixture begins to soften.
Transfer to a platter; serve warm.
Per serving: 140 calories, 8 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar.
