Note 1: If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, simply put the beans in a large saucepan and cover by 3 cm with cold water. Add 1 sprig of rosemary, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and sage. Heat the oven to 145 C, cover the pot, and bake for 60 to 90 minutes (the time will depend on the age of the beans). Taste to ensure that the beans are soft enough to eat and watch that they don’t disintegrate.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to make the beans yourself, then you have a couple options:
Variation 1: Take 2 tins of cannellini beans and put them into a saucepan along with their liquid. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary, 3 cloves of garlic, peeled, 2 leaves of sage, finely chopped and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed and stirring occasionally. Drain the beans, remove the garlic and rosemary and throw away. Proceed from step 3. This variation is a good option if you are pressed for time but the bean flavour and the texture for fresh or dry beans is much nicer than the tinned variety.
Variation 2: Substitute the beans with 4 potatoes. Add the unpeeled potatoes to a medium sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the potatoes and boil until the potatoes are fork tender but not disintegrating. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and remove the skin while still hot. Cut into 2 cm pieces and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt and pepper and then proceed from step 3.