Has anyone ever put sage in their tomato sauce?

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

We experienced the same thing with rosemary and quit trying. We do, however, have a thyme plant in the garden that's been there for years and keeps producing thyme for the kitchen.

My creeping thyme, a groundcover, does well and has pretty pink flowers. It just doesn't have much flavor.

[Kayelle]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Rosemary is indeed a heartbreaker. It's not hardy to my area. I dig mine up, repot it, take it inside and give it bunches of TLC, and it rewards me by shedding its needles all over the floor. So, like thyme, I get a new rosemary every year. Haven't tried growing bay yet, but if it acts like that, I probably won't.

Rosemary is prolific in these parts Dawg. Because it's drought tolerant, large bushes of it are often planted in highway landscaping here. I don't care very much for the flavor, but the scent is really nice.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by Kayelle

Rosemary is prolific in these parts Dawg. Because it's drought tolerant, large bushes of it are often planted in highway landscaping here. I don't care very much for the flavor, but the scent is really nice.

Kay, the advantages of living in a warmer climate! They're just not hardy here.

I got the most gorgeous rosemary shrub from a friend in the greenhouse business. It smelled fantastic, almost lemony, and I loved brushing my hands along it every time I passed it. Like no other rosemary I ever had. Overwintered it, babycaked it, and of course it croaked.

[larry_stewart]

I really thought i had a shot with mine this year. It grew so much this year and seamed so healthy. In my eyes, I did everything right. But clearly, the plant didn't agree. I got it at about 8 inches high with a few sorry looking branches, and by the end of the summer, it looked like a shrub.

[GotGarlic]

Sage + thyme = poultry seasoning

And here's a yummy recipe that uses a fair amount of sage: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/m...lo-recipe.html

I'm lucky that my area is great for growing herbs, except cilantro. It bolts too quickly to be worthwhile.

[Kayelle]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Kay, the advantages of living in a warmer climate! They're just not hardy here.

I got the most gorgeous rosemary shrub from a friend in the greenhouse business. It smelled fantastic, almost lemony, and I loved brushing my hands along it every time I passed it. Like no other rosemary I ever had. Overwintered it, babycaked it, and of course it croaked.

A couple of years ago I had a rosemary bush shaped and pruned like a Christmas tree beside my sink in the kitchen. Loved the lemon/pine smell and look of it, all decorated in tiny cookie cutters.

[Kayelle]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

Sage + thyme = poultry seasoning

And here's a yummy recipe that uses a fair amount of sage: Chicken "Saltimbocca": Saltimbocca di Pollo Recipe : Mario Batali : Food Network

I'm lucky that my area is great for growing herbs, except cilantro. It bolts too quickly to be worthwhile.

That recipe sounds delicious GG!

Speaking of cilantro, it bolts way too fast for me too. I gave up when we found big bunches of it at the Mexican market for 25 cents.

[Cooking Goddess]

FWIW, I've never used sage in an Italian red sauce. I like it with poultry, and it's good for a change when cooking pork. As many times as I've seen/heard references to brown butter with sage I never remember to make it those rare times I have fresh sage in the house.

Originally Posted by larry_stewart

, yeah, its just strange that some people feel the need to try and impress people by talking about things they don't know about....

And yet, politicians do that every day...

[Gravy Queen]

ONE PAN SAGE AND ONION CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE | Recipes | Nigella Lawson
Jamie Oliver - Magazine

I have tried these recipes , a good use of sage . When I make a fresh tomato sauce I tend to use oregano and thyme from the garden , I don't see why you couldn't add a bit of sage too .

[Addie]

There are several kinds of sage. Some have very strong sage flavor and some not so strong.

[Whiskadoodle]

Don't remember if I learned this using mint or sage leaves. Stack some leaves up. Roll like a cigar and finely mince with a sharp knife. Never knew how to make a chiffonade before and it beats tearing leaves or cutting with a kitchen scissors.

Another way I like to use fresh sage is sprinkle some finely minced leaves on small potatoes with a little oil and roast. ( I use some rosemary leaves too. )

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Rosemary is indeed a heartbreaker. It's not hardy to my area. I dig mine up, repot it, take it inside and give it bunches of TLC, and it rewards me by shedding its needles all over the floor. So, like thyme, I get a new rosemary every year. Haven't tried growing bay yet, but if it acts like that, I probably won't.

Plant your rosemary in a pot and then bring the pot into the house in fall. This rosemary pot has two plants. One is three years old and the other one is four.

[RPCookin]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Rosemary is indeed a heartbreaker. It's not hardy to my area. I dig mine up, repot it, take it inside and give it bunches of TLC, and it rewards me by shedding its needles all over the floor. So, like thyme, I get a new rosemary every year. Haven't tried growing bay yet, but if it acts like that, I probably won't.

Rosemary isn't supposed to be able to survive in Colorado's winter either, but we had a rosemary plant at our house in Littleton (southwest Denver metro) that came back year after year. It was planted on the terrace in the back yard, right below a rock wall. Because the wall faced south, it reflected the winter sun directly on the bush, and sheltered it from the worst winter winds. Although the bush would look dead each spring, soon new growth would start, and by June I had plenty of rosemary for cooking and just to put some sprigs in water to give the kitchen a wonderful aroma. I would harvest part of what was left in the fall and dry it for use during the winter. That little shrub is the one and only gardening success of my life. By the time we sold the house and moved away, the main trunk of the bush was about 2 inches in diameter, but only about 4 inches tall. I made sure that I told the new owners about it so that they wouldn't dig it up after the first winter, thinking that it was dead.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by taxlady

Plant your rosemary in a pot and then bring the pot into the house in fall. This rosemary pot has two plants. One is three years old and the other one is four.

I've nursemaided several rosemarys over the years, and replanted them outside, but they looked so ratty that I just buy a new, lush plant each year.

RP, sounds like you had a rosemary bonsai!

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

I've nursemaided several rosemarys over the years, and replanted them outside, but they looked so ratty that I just buy a new, lush plant each year.

Have you tried leaving it in the pot permanently, rather than replanting it twice a year? Disturbing the roots like that might be the problem.

[Dawgluver]

I've done it both ways. And I agree, rosemary does resent transplanting.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

Have you tried leaving it in the pot permanently, rather than replanting it twice a year? Disturbing the roots like that might be the problem.

That's what I think too. I have never planted the rosemary in the ground. I have had a previous rosemary plant survive well indoors and out. I think I forgot to water that one for too long and that's why I don't still have it.

[Mad Cook]

Originally Posted by larry_stewart

So, I have this friend who has recently gotten into gardening and cooking. He talks as if he knows what he is doing to impress me, but I usually question everything that comes out of his mouth.

Recently he made an Italian marinara sauce. He told me that he put sage in it and it was great. Im not doubting it, I just have never done it myself or come across a recipe that calls for sage when making marinara sauce. So, I'm just curious if anyone else does it, has done it or heard of it, and how did it taste ??

Larry

Sage is used a lot in Italian cooking - for example in saltimbocca. It's very strong so you need to be careful with it. If you like sage (and a lot of people don't) there doesn't seem to be any reason why you shouldn't put it in your marinara sauce. Law enforcement in Italy seems chaotic enough without having to worry about extraditing DC-ers for putting the "wrong" herb in marinara

[Mad Cook]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

I've nursemaided several rosemarys over the years, and replanted them outside, but they looked so ratty that I just buy a new, lush plant each year.

RP, sounds like you had a rosemary bonsai!

There is a long established Rosemary bush just outside my back door. Mother must have planted it a good 30 or 40 years ago. It's very leggy but with a good "bush" of leaves at the top and has leaves all winter. I suspect that it has gone far too many years without pruning and it's to far gone to start now. The flavour is still good though.

We can overwinter rosemary in the garden in my part of England. Not sure about further north and in Scotland though.

[RPCookin]

Originally Posted by Mad Cook

There is a long established Rosemary bush just outside my back door. Mother must have planted it a good 30 or 40 years ago. It's very leggy but with a good "bush" of leaves at the top and has leaves all winter. I suspect that it has gone far too many years without pruning and it's to far gone to start now. The flavour is still good though.

We can overwinter rosemary in the garden in my part of England. Not sure about further north and in Scotland though.

My wife and I stayed in an agritourismo in Tuscany, 4 miles outside of Sienna. the walkway to our room was fenced with a rosemary hedge. That was amazing to see for a guy who has always lived in a more northern climate.