Fava beans, or as they are known in the UK, broad beans, are one of the most commonly grown vegetables here. We plant in a shallow double row 4-6 inches apart with around 6 inches between the two rows. Planted in the late fall they are less prone to blackfly than spring sown ones and are ready in June. They are, in UK conditions, totally frost hardy.
If you pick them before the pods seem full they are very tender, but if left to grow larger develop a skin that some prefer to slip off after cooking.