Beans from scratch

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb dried beans
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• a few sprigs of woody herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano)
• a few pieces of lemon zest, peeled from a lemon in large chunks using a vegetable peeler
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• parmesean rind
• pinch of baking soda