Search just our sites by using our customised search engine

Unique Cottages | Electric Scotland's Classified Directory

Click here to get a Printer Friendly PageSmiley

Gardening in America
Sage
by Nancy Fletcher


SageSince sage grows well on very poor soil it has contributed to the holding of the soil on the slope of the front lawn. This sage pictured has already bloomed with the seed pod seen here. The flower of the sage plant is very attractive with a purple lavender color. It is planted across the hill side here to work for holding the soil. It is a perennial and comes back every year without having to replant.

In the garden a row of it planted wards off cabbage moths and the carrot fly. It also attracts bees which the gardener loves. If it is planted close to the house, it sends flies away.

The Native American used sage in their sweat lodge. If one takes the strong tea of sage leaves and rubs it on the skin before a hot bath it acts to exfoliate the skin. The natives also used it to sprinkle on their fur robes to clean them. Today even, dance regalia is stored with this herb and others.

The young leaves can be used fresh in salads. Sage can be used in fritters, omelets, soups, yeast bread and rolls, sausages and meat pies. They are also cooked with liver, beef, pork, veal, fish, lamb, poultry, duck, goose, artichokes, tomatoes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, oranges, lemons, garlic, cheese, lentil and shell beans.

Sage and onions do not grow well together. However, if planted with strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage and marjoram it stimulates the growth of these plants.

The following is a recipe using sage:

Roast Chicken with Sausage-Apple Stuffing

A holidays treat. Served with glazed Brussels sprouts and chestnuts and candied sweet potatoes.

½ cup (1stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped scallions
1 pound season bulk pork sausage
1 egg, beaten
2 cups cubed stale bread
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut in ½ -inch cubes
1 roasting chicken, about 6 pounds

1. Melt 1 stick butter in  small saucepan. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper; set herb butter aside

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan, melt remaining 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape butter and scallions into a large bowl, set aside. Add sausage to pan and cook, stirring to crumble, until brown, about 10 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and add to scallions.

3. Add egg, bread cubes, and apples; mix well. Loosely stuff chicken cavity; tie legs together. Place remaining stuffing in a small buttered baking dish.

4. Place chicken, breast side up in a large roasting pan. Brush with herb butter and roast 2 to 21/2 hours, until tender, basting every 30 minutes. Bake extra stuffing during last 30 minutes of roasting.


 Return to Gardening in America


 


This comment system requires you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator has approved your comment.

comments powered by Disqus

Quantcast