The jar of beans had been on the shelf since November. I kept watching the weather and putting it off. In March it stopped mattering.
Serves 3 to 4
dried white beans, 1 cup (cannellini or navy) water salt garlic, 2 cloves, peeled olive oil, the good kind red wine vinegar black pepper
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. In the morning they will have swelled and softened their skins. Drain them and cover with fresh water by two inches. Bring up slowly over medium heat. Skim what rises. Add the garlic. Do not add salt yet. Lower to a bare simmer and cook until the beans are completely tender, between one hour and two. Old beans take longer. These took closer to two.
Salt well in the last fifteen minutes. Pull the garlic cloves out. You can press them back into the pot or eat them separately. Either is correct.
The beans should finish with liquid. Do not drain it. It is what takes the oil.
Ladle into a bowl while still hot. A free hand pours olive oil, more than feels precise. Add a splash of red wine vinegar, small, just enough to cut through the fat without announcing itself. Crack pepper over. Taste the broth and add more salt if the beans ask for it.
This is a meal, not a side dish. Bread is good here.