What's Cookin' - Sage

Published June 11, 2008 in The Spectrum & Daily News

By Kathryn van Roosendaal

“How can a man grow old who has sage in his garden,” or so says an old Chinese proverb. The Romans revered the plant and its leaves were gathered with much ceremony. It was strewn on the floor with the rushes in Europe to help dispel evil spirits. And even today it is burned in Native American cleansing ceremonies.

Sage no doubt earned its title as a purifying herb from its clean, pungent scent when fresh or dried. The smoke from burning sage is an effective deodorant, working especially well on animal smells. And when eaten fresh or dried with food, sage helps the body digest fats and protein.

All that and it tastes good, too. Sage is a must with any fatty meats such as pork, sausage or liver and it helps mellow the gamey taste of venison. It is a classic in poultry stuffing and pairs wonderfully with just about any kind of cheese. It is also good in sweet dishes that have a lot of butter – try a little sprinkled in homemade apple pie and you’ll never forget it.

Sage’s downy leaves taste best when fresh or when slowly dried whole, so that powdered sage you get at the grocery store has only a fraction of the herb’s taste. It grows well in Southern Utah, though, so there is no reason not to have at least one bush on hand. It likes full sun or light afternoon shade and light, dry alkaline soil that drains well. Common garden sage grows to be about two feet tall and has lovely lavender blue flowers in the late spring. Leaves can be picked as they are needed or the whole bush can be cut back just before flowering. Extra leaves can be dried slowly and stored whole for later. Crush or crumble them just before adding to a recipe.

Sage Fritters

If you are looking for an appetizer that is beautiful as well as tasty, you can’t beat these crispy fritters. For an even lovelier dish, use the flowering stalks of the sage plant just as it starts to bloom.

20 to 30 sage leaves

3/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons warm water

1 large egg white

oil for frying

Carefully rinse and dry the sage leaves and set aside. Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Blend in the oil and water until smooth. Let stand in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold it carefully into the batter. Heat at least two inches of oil in a pan until a drop of batter turns brown quickly but doesn’t burn. Dip the leaves one at a time into the batter and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm in the oven until all the fritters are cooked. Serve hot with a variety of dipping sauces. Serves 4.

Sage & Mushroom Stuffing

This is the stuffing I make every Thanksgiving to go with the turkey. Instead of cooking it in the bird, I cook it in a crock pot. That way it cooks evenly and stays moist and yummy.

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons dried sage leaves

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup matchstick carrots

8 cups dried bread cubes (I like to use sourdough)

chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter or margarine in a medium saucepan and use to cook the garlic and onion until the onion is tender but not brown. Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook just a bit longer until the mushrooms begin to get soft. Remove from heat. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the mushroom mixture over the bread and mix together. Add 1 cup chicken broth and mix until the bread is just moistened. Put the stuffing mixture into a greased 2-quart crock pot. It may overflow a bit at first, but the size will reduce with cooking. Turn the crock pot on high for about an hour, then turn to low for another 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more broth as needed. Serves 8 to 10.