Faba beans

Faba beans are a food staple for many in the desert with access to them, thanks to the extensive farms cultivating them around Lake Tepi. Bean plants are grown by the acre in irrigated fields during the growing season, and thousands of bushels of beans are dried and stored in huge mud-brick silos for year-round use.   The beans are easily reconstituted by soaking them in fresh water for a day, and then can be used in a wide variety of dishes. They can easily be stored and transported, while being nutritious, filling, and tasty.   There are many ways faba beans can be prepared after being soaked, ranging from simply simmering them for one to two hours then serving with garlic, lemon juice, salt, and parsley; to simmering them overnight with onions, garlic, tomatoes and lentils, then crushing them into a chunky soup. They can even be crushed to a paste together with garlic, onions, parsley and lemon juice, then formed into patties and rolled in sesame seeds before being fried.