Beth's Butter Bean Tomato Confit

For my best vegetarian friend, this first of many recipe posts is all for you.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry lima beans (butter beans)
1/2 yellow onion
1 hamhock (optional)
2 large cloves garlic, 1 whole, 1 minced
1 bay leaf
2 fresh tomatoes, crushed
4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 jar capers, drained
1 tablespoon canola oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper

Beans:
- place onion half, 1 garlic clove, hamhock, bay leaf, and beans into a large sauce pot
- fill with enough water to cover beans by 4 inches
- turn heat to medium and let beans simmer for 30 - 45 mins (until tender)
- remove onion, garlic clove, hamhock, and bay leaf and strain beans, reserving 2 cups of liquid

Beth's Butter Beans:
- in a large saute pan, heat canola oil on low heat
- saute minced garlic until lightly toasted (about 1 min)
- add drained capers and saute for 1 min
- add crushed tomatoes and saute for 2 mins
- add beans and 2 tablespoons bean liquid, gently saute for another 2 mins
- if you notice the beans are looking try, keep adding the bean liquid by tablespoons
- add salt and pepper to taste (the capers are salty, so make sure you taste before you add salt)
- right before serving, sprinkle a little chopped basil and mix it in

Enjoy, my veg friends!