Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad

The summer is a great time to enjoy a nice salad with fresh vegetables from the garden that are not available during the rest of the year.  Fava beans are easy to grow and do so much for the soil so we often grow them.  My in-laws came over with a surplus of vegetables form their garden the other day and they were kind enough to shared some of their bounty.  Fava beans were among the pickings from the day.  I decided to search for ideas to make a fava bean salad.  After looking at a few different recipes I decided to create my own after taking ideas from a few different places.  It tasted wonderful on it's own but the addition of some bacon or cheese would be fine if you wanted a little more.

Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad

2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)

2 cups fava beans

2 bunches asparagus

6 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

1 can artichoke hearts

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Cook the lava beans in boiling water until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and place into cold water to prevent further cooking.  After they have cooled, remove the outer skins and place into your salad bowl.
2. If you are using frozen peas add them to the bowl as is but if you are using fresh peas cook them in the boiling water until they are just tender, about 3 minutes.  Once they are tender remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water to prevent further cooking. Then once they have cooled add them to the salad bowl.
3. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove them with tongs and place them in cold water to stop them from continuing to cook.  Once they have cooled you may decide to cut the spears into bite size pieces or add them directly into the salad bowl.
4. Combine the vegetable oil and shallots into a pot over medium heat and cook until the shallots are a golden brown.  Remove the shallots and place them on paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
5. Drain and rinse the artichoke hearts and slice them in to smaller pieces.  Add them to the salad bowl.
6. Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl and add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then toss the ingredients together.
7. Add the shallots as a garnish and serve.