It’s hard to believe there was a time when the idea of cooking with sage would never have crossed my mind. I loved it as a beautiful plant in my garden, but its strong herbal aroma kept me from using it in the kitchen. Until one day, after realizing I’d run out of rosemary and thyme, I tried adding a few fresh sage leaves to a batch of potatoes I was roasting. To my delight, they made a favorite recipe even better. Cooking, it turns out, mellows sage’s potent aroma and flavor to a very appealing level. Pretty soon, my one big plant wasn’t enough to keep up with my ever-growing demand for this delightfully hearty, wintry herb.

新鲜是最好的

Although sage is available both fresh and dried, I recommend using fresh. Dried sage has a stronger, more concentrated flavor that can sometimes be bitter. If you’re flavoring a soup, a stew, or a pot of beans, or if you’re making a rub, dried sage, either ground or crumbled, is a decent substitute for fresh. But if you really want the sage flavor to shine, you have to use fresh leaves. Fortunately, sage plants are tough enough to withstand light frosts, so sage is available much of the year.

当寻找与圣人配对的东西时，请考虑丰富，淀粉和甜美。很棒猪肉;它增强了土豆，豆类，谷物和面包的味道（想想）；它为冬南瓜，地瓜和南瓜的甜淀粉质提供了一个很好的对立面。苹果和梨也很美味。

从花园到厨房

鼠尾草植物需要大量的阳光，并且在坚韧，排水良好，不太肥料的土壤中做得最好。收获几英寸长的单个叶子或小树枝。冲洗它们以去除灰尘，并用厨房毛巾轻轻地将它们弄干。无论您是自己的种植还是在商店购买，都要保持鼠尾草尽可能干燥，因为水分会导致鼠尾草迅速恶化。将其存放在冰箱中的最佳方法是在密封的塑料袋内衬有纸巾。它将保留两三天。

贤哲的想法

这里有更多美味的方法可以在日常烹饪中添加鼠尾草。

• 烤婴儿土豆一半在鼠尾草床上，烤盘中覆盖着一层薄薄的橄榄油。
• 打扮托斯卡纳风格的豆。Simmer cannellini beans with lots of chopped fresh sage, garlic, and pepper. Dress the cooked beans while still hot with a vinaigrette of olive oil, red-wine vinegar, chopped fresh sage, and garlic.
• 搅打快速美味的面食酱。在烹饪的最后10分钟内，用橄榄油焦糖洋葱切片，并在烹饪的最后10分钟内添加切碎的鼠尾草和胡桃木。季节和拌上热意大利面和碎的Gorgonzola。
• 做豪华的南瓜汤。用切碎的洋葱，鼠尾草和大蒜炒橡子壁球，然后用鸡肉或蔬菜汤煮至嫩。如果您愿意，请将其调味，并加入一点奶油。
• Make a rich gnocchi sauce.将煮熟和沥干的gnocchi扔在褐色黄油和整个鼠尾草叶子中，并调味得很好。
• 煮多汁的盐豆。在捣碎的小牛排上放一块薄片和一块大的鼠尾草叶；卷起并用牙签固定。调味卷，然后用黄油褐色。然后用甜美的马尔萨拉（Marsala）将锅涂上酱汁。

所有漂亮的圣人

在市场上，您通常只会找到标准的烹饪贤哲（Salvia officinalis），有灰绿色的叶子，带有鹅卵石略微模糊的质地。但是在Herb Nurseries，您会发现更多的鼠尾草类型可以种植和烹饪。它们具有相似的口味，但形状和颜色各不相同。请注意，某些类型的鼠尾草无法食用；因此，对于厨房使用，请确保您购买一个（所有人）Salvia officinalis品种可食用）。这是我的一些最爱（有关照片，请参见下面的幻灯片）：

• Berggarten是一种非花鼠尾草，因此该植物的能量致力于生产许多芳香叶。
• 霍尔特的猛mm象has leaves twice the size of regular sage.
• 木棍农场有大叶，对白粉病具有抗性（在潮湿气候下鼠尾草的问题）。
• 杂色的贤哲are as beautiful as they are tasty. Golden sage has bright-green leaves edged in creamy yellow; purple sage has dusky purple leaves; and tricolor sage has leaves splashed with green, purple, and beige.