Fava Beans

"Trust me," says chef Nate Appleman about this unorthodox recipe. He quickly grills whole fava beans, tosses them with a crushed red pepper dressing and serves them hot. They can be eaten whole—the tender pods develop a lovely charred flavor on the grill—but it's also easy to eat them in the traditional way by popping the beans out of their pods and outer skins.

Chef Mike Lata’s spring version of pasta e fagioli, the Italian soup, uses fresh fava beans in place of borlotti or cannellini beans, along with meaty bits of bacon and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The Medlock Ames tasting room has become a nexus for Healdsburg's burgeoning food-artisan scene: craft brewers, coffee roasters, cheesemakers, winemakers. General manager Kenny Rochford, a blond-haired Scotsman with contagious enthusiasm and an awesome smile, has knit himself into this community; he's a member of the local Slow Food chapter and one of the organizers of the first-ever Good Food Awards. For the tasting room, he transforms produce from the winery gardens into jars and jars of sweet oven-roasted tomatoes, "wee chutneys," Chioggia beets and pickled beans.

More Amazing Vegetarian Dishes

Inspired by cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), the classic Italian pasta sauce, this salad features spring greens and fava beans topped with a delicious buttermilk dressing.

This salad is a well-rounded meal in itself, supplying a wealth of nutrients, including vitamins A and C. "I grew up in the French countryside," Laurent Gras says, "so vegetable-heavy dishes make me feel like I'm back home."

Paul Kahan is a big fan of chicken thighs because they have so much flavor and are so inexpensive—the best of both worlds. He braises the thighs in beer to make an excellent spring stew that he (naturally) pairs with more beer, such as Pere Jacques from Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company, a Belgian-style ale full of caramelized malt flavors.

It's impossible to grill tiny favas, but the sweet-starchy beans get a similar smoky flavor when they're charred quickly in a hot skillet. Jean-Georges Vongerichten tosses the charred beans with garlic, jalapeño, tarragon and cubes of cheese for a warm salad.

"One thing I've learned as a chef is not to overfeed your customers—a food coma is very unpleasant," says Charlie Parker. This salad of grilled spring vegetables feels just filling enough, thanks to the protein-rich quinoa and a puree of dates that are grilled first to soften them and intensify their natural sweetness.

So immature they haven't yet formed a papery skin, young garlic bulbs are pearly white and still have their green stems attached. The garlic is mild, with a delicate flavor that makes for a fantastic vinaigrette that Colby Garrelts drizzles over plump veal chops and smoky, charred corn and orzo salad. Look for young garlic at farmers' markets and specialty-food shops in the late spring.

In an homage to spring, Rolando Beramendi makes these lush custards with fresh artichokes; the flavor is wonderfully vivid.

When fresh fava beans are available, use them in place of the cranberry beans.