Greek-Style Braised Pole Beans with Tomatoes

From the garden

• 1½ lb pole beans (flat romano types are classic), topped, tailed, and snapped into 2-inch lengths
• 1½ lb ripe tomatoes, grated on a box grater, skins discarded
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 medium waxy potatoes, cut into large chunks
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

From the pantry

• ½ cup olive oil — a generous pour is traditional, not a typo
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pinch sugar
• 4 oz feta, in thick slabs (optional) — for serving
• crusty bread (optional) — for the sauce
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Warm the olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
2. Add the beans and turn them in the oil for 2–3 minutes until glossy and bright — coating them in the oil first is what gives fasolakia its silky finish.
3. Add the grated tomatoes, potatoes, half the dill, the pinch of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and enough water to come halfway up the vegetables, about 1 cup. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Cover and braise on low 40–50 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the beans are completely tender — soft and sweet, well past crisp-tender; that's the point of the dish — and the potatoes are creamy.
5. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is thin; it should be a rich, oily tomato gravy rather than a broth. Off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and plenty of black pepper.
6. Rest 10 minutes and serve warm, not hot, with slabs of feta on top and bread for the sauce.