Okay, another simple, beginner question. A couple of weeks after we moved in, the plants around our mailbox bloomed into beautiful purple flowers. It smells like sage. Is this the same sage that can be cooked with? Remember, I live on the plains where there's lots of "sage," but I don't think it's the herb. If this is the herb sage, what's the best way to use it? Thanks again, Miss (now Mrs.) Liberty moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
They are beautiful but I cannot make a comment because my sage never flower I find the best way to use sage is making fresh herbs morning sausages and it is real yummie!!
Looking at the leaves, I would say that the plant is certainly sage. There are many, many types to be sure. The sage that I have in my garden blooms later on in the summer. Sage is good to use with fatty meats like pork and lamb. I wouldn't know for sure, but perhaps birds like duck and goose as well. You can use it with beans, potatos and in tomato sauce. I use it along with other herbs such as--rosemary, oregano, thyme bay leaf and garlic. You have to be a bit careful with sage, as it can easily overpower your meal because it is so aromatic; however, cooking it weakens its flavour. I add it at the end of the meal preparation for this reason. I do not think that folks use just one type of sage for cooking, but it is true that there are several types that I have never used. The plant that you have shown looks a lot like the one that grows in my garden and I use it to cook with. I have grown Salvia patens, "hot Lips" and would not consider using these to cook with I apologize, but I can not positively ID this particular sage sort for you. It resembles the Salvia x sylvestris 'Dear Anja'...And this sort is not really known for use in the kitchen. I will say that it also looks a bit like Salvia lavandulifolia...and if that is correct then you can most definitely use that to cook with.
Thank you for the input, Sjoerd. I just needed to make sure. The lady next door told me it was okay. She's a dear soul, but she's also an expert in everything from Middle East politics to homeopathic medicine, so I try to take everything she says with a grain of salt. Thanks again, Libby
KK. Your sage never flowered? I've had multiple sages like purple sage and tri-color sage and they all flowered on the 2nd year. Sage is biennial and should bloom on the second year. But if you ask me I think the flowers smell like garbage.
i have so much sage that I don't even know what to do with it anymore! It is known for stuffings and anything Thanksgiving-y but it pairs well with pork chops and pasta as well. You can look up recipes for a sage-butter pasta sauce, sage biscuits, and also veal saltimbocca - yum! That recipe is probably one of my favorite ways to use sage.
cooking with sage Sage is a herb that does better with lots of cooking, there are others that lose flavor with cooking. Add it early to pork chops. I have a recipe where some small sage leaves are deep fried for several seconds to crisp up, then used as a garnish for baked asparagus. YUM.
