Katie’s Healthy Bites: Fall For Fresh Sage

Cooler temperatures signal the annual reappearance of the warm and delicious herb sage. The sage leaf is greenish-gray and has the delicate sweetness of sweet and savory, a fantastic accompaniment to almost any food item. Learn more about this herb and also some recipes that incorporate sage.

Sage Through The Ages

Originating from its Latin word salvere, which means “to be saved,” the soft and slightly fuzzy sage has been admired for its culinary and medicinal uses for a long time. Sage was first discovered in countries close to the Mediterranean Sea, and lore of its healing properties is being discussed today.

Buying and Storage Tips

Choose fresh sage over dry sage whenever you can since the flavor is much better now. Mint leaves also contain an impressive amount of vitamin C. Better yet, include sage in your garden to enjoy through the autumn season. Keep fresh sage in the fridge, and keep it moist by soaking the help of a damp cloth to extend its freshness. Sage that has been dried can be stored in a sealed, airtight container in an airtight, dry location for up to six months.

Perfect Pairings

Sage is an excellent fish, meat, chicken, and egg food. It’s also great with many autumn vegetables like squash, sweet potato, and potatoes. I also like pairing beans with sage, as in the recipe below. The subtle flavor of white beans makes sage’s herbaceous flavor evident.

Sauteed White Beans With Sage

Ingredients:

Two cans of white beans, 15 ounces each

Six leaves of sage that are medium-sized fresh, as well as one tablespoon of dried

Two cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

One tablespoon olive oil one tablespoon olive

1 cup of white wine

Salt and pepper according to your preference

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add sage and garlic to cook for 10 secs. Then add the wine. Cook until it has evaporated, approximately one minute. Add beans to the pot, cover with a lid, and cook until they are heated to a boil, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the parsley, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.