They were a garden staple for my FIL, aka horse bean, or boba (bo-BUH, croatian). He planted in Fall for Spring harvest in this mild 8b, my guess (and it's a guess) would be late winter or early spring while still chilly in your climate - about like you would time a regular garden pea not bean.

Olive oil and garlic here (everything he cooked had olive oil and garlic), sometimes a little shaved parmesan :)

I have no experience in sowing fava bean. Though I would like to request, if you have success and save your seed. I would so be interested in trying some fava bean next year. So please keep me in mind when saving your seed. Ya have made me really interested in this bean talking about garlic and onion, YUMM.

I do believe though morz hit the time frame with the late winter early spring suggestion. I would say late february mid march.

Though that does get me thinking, our farmers around here sow a crop of maybe winter wheat or something else like cotton. Then after the harvest they then sow beans. It is usually late in the year when the harvest of the beans comes in. So I would say it would be best to be late than early.

Like a pea and unlike a bean, these beans resent heat and don't do well in most summer temps. Key is as early as germination can be achieved, and why Fall sown here where they can withstand a mild winter.

OT, Pops would steam (think boil :)) the leaves like kale or spinach too - again with olive oil and garlic. And probably more tasty less cooked than more, I dont think anything was ever served at his table that wasn't a minimum of well done, most beyond that....but you were never given anything that wasn't tender to the bite at least!

Totally OT: OOOH!! Spinach with some onion and garlic cooked just till it turns a dark green, cheese if you like it. Yummm!!!

It sounds like your pop cooks kale and spinach like I cook turnip and mustard greens. Except I got to put me a big ham hock in mine!! Yummmm O!! As rachel would say!!

Thank you guys. The seeds are from UK (Thomson and Morgan). I have to varieties, Witkiem - suppose to be very early and Imperial Green Longpod. I did some reading. I should plant them in Feb! but, I'm sure that is for UK. In Feb Chicago is covered with snow. But, I'll try ASAP, we'll see.
BTW, my reciepe also calls for olive oil. Briefly, saute onion, garlic, young fava beans, add some water or better chicken stock (just a little), fresh mint, lemon juice and salt. You can eat warm or cold.
Other one, but this is fava bean from a can (you can buy them from store that sell Middle Eastern food) - chopp a lot of cilantro, tomatoes, some green onion add a can or two of fava beans and chickpeas, add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. We live on this salad....

I like cilantro, that is one herb you either like or dislike there is no in between. That second salad sounds like another one I would love!!

Illinois.edu extension -

For what it's worth, timing as for similar growing conditions peas - "Peas can be planted as early as March 1 in our area. They germinate best when soil temperatures are at least 45 degrees F."

adamark - if my autumn (early November) sown broad beans fail, as they sometimes do since they are prime mouse food and are prey to various rots if the winter is wet, I start some indoors in an unheated greenhouse, ie temp of around 40f, mid January. I have 2 dozen just showing now. A little bottom heat helps germination but they do not need any heat to grow on - it will just make them weak. After planting out in about the third week in February they are ready at about the same time as autumn sown ones would have been. I also sow two or three more rows outdoors in succession and get beans from late April to early June. Maybe in your climate you could also get some started inside and plant them out later. Imperial Green Longpod is a good cropper. My favourite is Masterpiece Green Longpod. Always eaten young and green so there is no need to peel. The Bean, Peas and Legumes forum has a lot of people who have grown broad beans in US conditions.

Flora, thanks for your advise. I'll post this question on the Bean... forum.

adamark: First time I had fava beans was in Germany - brushed with olive oil and grilled. Fabulous!

In your zone, I'd plant seeds "as soon as soil can be worked" and don't worry about snow or light frosts. I'd love to grow them but in my zone, I think they should be planted in the fall. As Flora says, I'm afraid they would become prime food for the critters.

I look forward to hearing the outcome of your experiment

Adamark, I'm not far from you, Chesterton, IN, and I did not WS mine, just planted them out early. I have raised Sq Ft garden beds, so they can be worked earlier than gardens in the ground. I only kept a record of what I wintersowed, but I think I planted the beans about March 1, as morz8 suggested.

I didn't get an overwhelming crop from the plants and I'm not planting them this year. The taste didn't really do that much for me, so I'd rather grow something I really like. But it was fun to try something new.

Bev

bev2009 - I don't expect an incredible crop, a few would be fine. I'll try two methods. In a couple of weeks, I'll plant some in pots and I'll try to grow them in my screened, not heated porch (like Flora's greenhouse). I may try to use some peat pots. I hate this staff but last year when I just started gardening, I order a bunch (a big bunch). Now, I don't know what to do with them. The second method - I'll sow directly. I also have raised beds so the soil should be fine in the first week of March. Looks like an interesting experiment ahead of me.