Soak the beans in plenty of water, overnight or at least 6 hours.
Drain them and put them in a pot with fresh water to cover by about two inches, a splash of olive oil, the bay leaf and an unpeeled garlic clove.
Bring to a boil, lower the flame and simmer, covered – for 1 1/2 hours. The beans should be tender before you add the seasonings.
In a separate pan, sauté the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the tomato, bell pepper. Cook a few minutes, until the pepper softens, then add garlic.
Add the sage, rosemary, cayenne, black pepper and salt to taste. Stir everything up and cook 5 minutes over a low flame.
Pour the vegetable/herb mixture into the bean pot. Stir, noting if the beans have enough liquid. If it looks like they’re getting dry, add water, a little at a time. Cook the beans and seasoning 1/2 hour, stirring once in a while.
The beans are now ready. Sprinkle some chopped chives into the pan before serving.
They get even better over the next couple of days.