Though this was originally one of my Savta’s recipes, I adapted the method of adding baking soda to the water the green beans are braised in after reading about it in Cook’s Illustrated magazine. The addition of baking soda helps break down the fibrous skins of the green beans.

I think of the cooking of anything in tomatoes as very much my Savta’s way—not because she had a glut of fresh tomatoes on hand, but because she had access to canned tomatoes and tomato paste.

My grandparents, both in Israel and later after they immigrated to America, were incredibly modest people. They didn’t have much, but what they had, they shared generously with the endless guests who walked through their doors. A dish like this—green beans and tomatoes—would have been a side dish that my Savta cooked slowly at the back of the stove or in the oven while she made omelettes or meatballs and chatted happily with anyone who walked in, all the while cooking and smiling.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 680 grams (1 ½ pounds) green beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (400grams/14.5-ounce) can peeled cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus extra to season)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

METHOD:

1. Heat the oven to 135ºC (275ºF).
2. Warm the oil. In a Dutch oven (or another heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting, oven-safe lid), heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
3. Sauté the onion. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Simmer the beans. Add the water, baking soda, and green beans, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste, the canned cherry tomatoes and their juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
7. Transfer to oven. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the green beans can be easily cut with the side of a fork, about 40 to 50 minutes.
8. Alternatively, cook on the stove. Simmer over very low heat, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking and to prevent scorching. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. (I find it often needs an extra teaspoon of kosher salt at the end—add a little at a time until it tastes right to you.)

MAKE AHEAD:

The green beans can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Cook fully, then cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat thoroughly before serving, and check the seasoning once more.