Okay, I know I have been quiet for a couple of weeks now. Life has interrupted my blog updates. We made a trip to Florida to check out where we are going to retire and have been trying to get back to real life since.
So, let’s talk about Sage! I personally LOVE this herb.
Sage’s botanical name is Salvia officials, and is native to the Mediterranean region. The name comes from the Latin word “salvere,” meaning “to be saved.” In Ancient Rome, Sage was helpful in digesting all of the fatty meats that were eaten. The French and Chinese used it as a tea.
Nutritionally, Sage has almost half our daily recommended serving of Vitamin K, as well as fiber, vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and B vitamins such as folic acid, thiamin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, and copper. WOW, that is a lot packed into one little herb.
Medically, Sage sage has been proven to be a natural antiseptic and preservative for meat. Sage has been made into a drink from the leaves, called the “thinker’s tea” and has shown promise in treating Alzheimer’s patients, as well as treating symptoms of depression. It also contains the flavone salvigenin, which may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Sage has also been proven to improve or eliminate hot flashes in menopausal women.
Sage has a better flavor when cooked in butter, olive oil or bacon fat first.
GARLIC SAGE BROWN BUTTER SAUCE
4-6 Servings
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped sage leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over low-medium heat. When the butter begins to get just slightly bubbly, add the chopped garlic clove.
- Stir the garlic in the butter for 1 minute. Add the chopped sage to the garlic butter and continue stirring and cooking the mixture for 1 to 2 additional minutes, until the butter has turned very light brown and has a rich, nutty aroma.
- Season the sage brown butter sauce with ground black pepper and serve it hot.
YUM!!!
Culinary Chick 