Fava Bean Stew and Peasant Bread

There is nothing peasant-like about this bread.  It is from a local bakery here, mixed by hand, and naturally leavened.  Coupled with this hearty summer stew, it is the perfect dinner.  I took the recipe from Saveur magazine and just happened to have some rendered duck fat in the fridge left from Christmas!  I would substitute butter or lard if you don’t have the duck fat.  And as always, in my opinion, homemade stock is so much more rich and flavorful, but I most certainly understand time restraints, so I would use something like Kitchen Basics for flavor.

Fresh Fava Beans