Things To Do With Fresh Sage

NOTE: BEING A VEGETARIAN I REMOVED THE MEAT RECIPES.

Things To Do With Fresh Sage

I recently remarked to a sympathetic friend how difficult it is to buy fresh sage around here. Sage isn't used intensively in French cuisine, so it's not part of the classic range of fresh herbs sold at produce shops or at the green market. But I enjoy its flavor very much, so I decided I would try and find seeds to grow my own.
Only days later, I walked past the sidewalk display of Etablissements Lion on my way home, and noticed that they sold potted sage plants that looked exceptionally healthy. I couldn't resist; I chose the most beautiful one and adopted it.
It now rooms with our blooming strawberry plants on the bathroom window sill, but it is so bushy I thought I'd better start thinking of ideas to put it to good use. And I did what any modern person would do: I turned to twitter and asked, "What do you like to do with sage?"
The response was multicolored and inspired, and I thought it would be a pity not to share it with you. Surely there are other owners of expansive sage plants who would benefit. So here's a compilation of the suggestions I collected -- my sincere thanks go to the twitterers who kindly contributed their ideas.
Sage pairings:
- Sage + eggs (i.e. in an omelette)
- Sage + polenta
- Sage + onion (i.e. in stuffing)
- Sage + white beans (i.e. in white bean hummous or an open sandwich)
- Sage + apple
- Sage + pineapple
- Sage + roasted peanuts
Sage uses:
- Sage butter on gnocchi
- Sage butter on ravioli, especially pumpkin ravioli
- Sage olive oil with pasta and parmesan
- Put some leaves into pesto with other herbs.
- Add sage to bean dishes.
- Infuse honey with sage.
- Use with parsley, rosemary and thyme in UNchicken risotti and soups.
- Add along with fresh parsley, basil, thyme, and rosemary to tomato sauces.
- Deep-fry the leaves and serve as an appetizer, or use as a garnish for poultry, meat dishes, or pasta.
Recipe ideas:

- Sage on asparagus with shaved pecorino
- Lay two sage leaves over a long slice of sweet potato and wrap with a slice of prosciutto. Roast for 20 minutes or so with some olive oil (credit to Mark Bittman).
- Italian bread and cabbage soup with sage butter
- Roast butternut squash on a thick bed of it.
- Sage and goats' cheese gnocchi
- Sweet potato gnocchi with chestnuts and fried sage
- - Wrap a flattened chicken thigh in prosciutto with a leaf of sage and pan-cook.
- Pan-fry UNchicken breasts(QUORN), add sage, red onion, lemon & crème fraîche.
- Pork, sage and apple burgers (USE PORK SUB)
- Mold around a piece of UNsausage , batter and fry.
- Sage and cheddar biscuits or pumpkin sage biscuits
- Sage ice cream
- Sage panna cotta
Other uses:
- Freeze in ice cubes for summer drinks.
- Go native and use the dry sage leftovers to purify your kitchen from evil spirits (see smudge sticks).
- Sage tea is a great remedy for sore throat.
- Sage plants give the most beautiful blooms!
More Entries Like This One:
~ Watercress and Fresh Sage Soup