As spring unfurls its bounty of colorful produce, one seasonal delight particularly excites food enthusiasts: the fava bean. These green legumes, with their earthy and nutty flavor, grace us with their presence only from late March through May. So how do professional chefs take advantage of this limited window? Offered here are the favorite methods used by 17 culinary experts from Los Angeles to New York to prepare these springtime gems.

Some chefs, like Nate Appleman, enjoy the simple, rustic appeal of grilling the young fava beans straight in their pods, providing a charred outside and a tender, mildly smoky flavor inside. As the season matures, and the beans grow, some prefer to remove them from their pods and braise them with vinegar, garlic, or a Portuguese blend of chouriço and sofrito.

Other chefs love the double-purpose functionality of fava beans. Not only can the actual beans be utilized in a plethora of dishes, but their leaves as well offer a great wilt-in ingredient for pasta. Chopping and mixing the beans into the pasta dough can also create a vibrant green hue, making for an aesthetically pleasing plate.

A common favorite method among chefs for preparing these beans is turning them into a delicious dip. By blanching and then blending them with caramelized shallots and roasted garlic, or mashing with fresh garlic, onion, lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro, olive oil and combining with guacamole or hummus, a delectable and brightly colored bean dip is born.

As with many other vegetables, size can influence a chef's approach to cooking. When they are young and about the size of a sugar snap pea, the fava bean’s husk is extremely tender, making them ideal for grilling and then enhancing with robust olive oil and vinegar, or incorporating into a richly flavored stew or tomato sauce.

Different preparations can bring out the contrasting elements of the fava bean’s taste. Whether they are poached in butter and lemon, tossed in simple fresh olive oil and sea salt, or boiled and fried in pork fat, their earthy flavor is something to be savored.

However they are prepared, these legumes are clearly a spring highlight. Whether pureed, fried, or grilled, their bright color and flavor are a delight. When the chefs themselves can’t get enough of these beans, it's a clear signal that it's time for us to indulge in this springtime bounty while we can.