Tuscan White Beans with Garlic and Sage
Adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas
** In my own kitchen I might simplify this recipe and adapt it to my crockpot

1 pound small white beans
Handful of fresh sage leaves, or 2 Tablespoons dried whole-leaf sage
1 head garlic, separated and peeled
3-4 Tablespoons fruity green olive oil
S & P to taste

Soak the beans in cool water for a few hours, or overnight if you have the time. A pinch of soda can be added to the water if it’s hard.

Drain the beans and put them in a large, shallow skillet, with enough fresh water to cover them by an inch. Add the sage leaves, the garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Allow the beans to simmer this way until they are tender – this may take an hour, or 2, or 3. As always with dried beans, the cooking time varies quite a bit depending on the freshness of the beans.

Do not stir more than 2 or 3 times, and then gently, with a wooden spoon. If the water evaporates too much, carefully add more, always keeping the beans covered. The trick is just to leave the beans alone on that low flame for the right amount of time, so that they are soft to the bite but firm to the eye – you don’t want them to fall apart into a mush.

Shortly before they’re done, when they are just beginning to be tender, add about 2 teaspoons salt. When they are soft, and the cooking water has become a savory, sage-and-garlic perfumed broth, pour the beans and broth into a wide, shallow bowl, drizzle with 2-3 Tablespoons of the best green olive oil, grind on some black pepper, and serve.