Flatbreads with Yogurt, Fava Bean Spread, Mint, and Tomatoes

About 1 1/2 cups shelled fava beans

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large clove garlic, finely sliced

1 TBSP chopped parsley

1 tsp finely sliced mint

grated lemon zest

2-3 tsp lemon juice

2-3 TBSP olive oil

For each sandwich:

1 sandwich-sized pita bread round

olive oil for brushing

1 TBSP plain Greek yogurt, drained

1 TBSP fava bean spread

Vegetable garnishes:

Tomato dice, 2-3 pitted olives, more grated lemon zest, finely sliced mint, arugula leaves. (You could also use sliced cucumbers, and later in the summer, diced green or red peppers).

Snap open pods and pop out fava beans. Blanch shelled beans in salty boiling water for 2-3 minutes, depending on size, then cool in icy water. Drain beans and remove outer skins (tear skins with a thumbnail and pinch beans—the bright green beans will slip free of their dowdy jackets). Put skinned green beans in a blender with garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, a pinch of lemon zest, pepper—and a tablespoon or two of their salty blanching water to get the blending process going. Pulse, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides, until beans are puréed. Blend in oil a tablespoon at a time until the bean spread has a light creamy consistency. Check seasoning. Keep covered in fridge if making ahead.

To assemble sandwich:

For each sandwich, measure a heaping tablespoon of Greek yogurt and invert spoon onto a folded paper towel to drain. Cut tomato into small dice, again about a tablespoon per person. Brush pita with a wisp of olive oil on both sides. Grill on a very hot cast iron pan or grill pan, flipping bread over, until spotted here and there with char marks. Spread yogurt over bread, using a brush, if you like, to get nice brushstrokes. Spoon a tablespoon or so of fava bean spread into the center and spread, leaving a rim of yogurt showing. Scatter over small tomato dice, olives, more lemon zest, mint shreds and arugula in a free-form way