Sage makes magic with animal fat. A perennial herb in the mint family, it’s commonly associated with sausage, poultry, and rich dairy dishes. Mother Nature bestowed my garden with sage and not much else this spring, so I decided to see what it had to offer a vegetarian.
As it turns out, plenty! Its affinity for fat extends to plant-based oils and it works in both savory and sweet recipes. While the concentrated flavor of dried sage can be overpowering, the thinly sliced fresh leaves add a mild earthiness and just enough umami. Here's what I came up with.
1. Pinto Beans
No fancy recipe here, I just rinsed and soaked dry beans per package directions, fried a chopped onion in olive oil with 2 garlic cloves and 8-9 sliced sage leaves, and cooked the beans on low heat for 2 hours. At the end I chopped up another 4-5 sage leaves, added salt and pepper, and gave it another 15 minutes.
Results: Simple, satisfying, delicious
2. Pineapple
This is just a twist on the sage infused potatoes I made last week. I cut the pineapple in half, cored it, made slices and stuffed fresh leaves inside. It’s brushed with olive oil, pink sea salt and cracked black pepper and baked at 350F for 45 minutes.
Results: The sage was a little strong but I used a LOT. I have no after pictures because my husband apparently ate it all overnight.
3. Beverages
The first time I paid $4.75 for a small lavender lemonade, I was scandalized and immediately learned to make my own simple syrup. The basic recipe is 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and ¼ to ½ cup loosely packed fresh leaves of whatever herb(s) I'm using. Fresh sage-infused lemonade is delightful, especially with a little mint. I don't like liquor but I'm sure a good bartender could make it sing.
Result: Little luxuries like this make growing herbs so satisfying.
4. Potatoes
Where it all started last week, when I made fan potatoes infused with sage and decided to make it a diary.
What's for dinner at your place?
EDIT: added bean pic, fixed typos