Lose something? Sage may help you find your mind!

Mark Twain is generally credited with saying "Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."  According to Google another 32,000,000 folks are in agreement!

Might I suggest sage?  According to a study reported by the BBC sage was seen to improve memory and may be helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer's.  It also has anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, is good for sore-throats and menopause.  (Talk about one-stop shopping!)  It's marvelous abilities have been accepted and noted for hundreds of years: "in 1597 the herbalist John Gerard said that it was "singularly good for the head and quickeneth the nerves and memory."

And it tastes good!  Sage is my favorite winter herb.  It seems to go well with winter vegetables and winter cooking: braises and stews.  Plus it freezes well.  I pick and wash the whole leaves, lay them on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes then stack them up and put them in freezer bags.   I use them whole or chopped all winter...until the summer herbs start coming up, sigh...soon!

Don't you just love the way they tie the roasts here?  All those little bows are so cute!

Braised Pork with White Wine, Olives and Sage        Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

1 pork loin roast, 1 1/2 - 2 lbs (750gr)
1 1/2 tbs persillade which is
1 tbs parsley
1 clove garlic - chopped very finely, together
10 - 12 sage leaves substitute 2 tbs dried
10 - 12 olives
1 cup of white wine
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 2 tbs chicken stock

In heavy pot or oven with tight-fitting lid, brown pork in olive oil.  Mince garlic and combine with parsley.  After turning pork, spread persillade over the top of the pork.  Add the sage leaves, olives and white wine, turn heat to low, cover and braise for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove pork and keep warm.  Either use a meat thermometer or slice into the middle to make certain it's done.  Slightly pink is okay. (If it's not done, cut into thick slices and put back into the pan for 5 minutes.)  Dissolve cornstarch in chicken stock.  Stir cornstarch into pan juices and thicken.  Cut pork into thick slices, spoon some of the thickened sauce over the top and serve, remaining sauce on the side.

I've been planning to try sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) for a long time.  I've been seeing these at the market for weeks.   'Topinambour' the sign said.  They didn't look like the sunchokes of my memory (not enough sage as a youth) and I became so intrigued I bought some.  Guess what?  They were good!  Plus I found a recipe for them with ....you guessed it - Sage!

Sautéed Sunchokes      Time: 30 minutes
based on a recipe I found in my new Bon Appétit Cookbook....why are they always serving 8 or 12?

2 - 3 Jerusalem artichokes aka sunchokes
2 tbs butter
1 clove garlic
4 - 6 fresh sage leaves   substitute 1 tbs dried
Peel sunchokes using a vegetable peeler.  Leave whole and put into a steamer basket over hot water.  Steam 20 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a sharp knife.  They may get a little grayish on the outside - no problem.  When done remove and cut into 1/4" (.6cm) slices.  Mince garlic.  Chop sage leaves if using fresh.  Melt butter in nonstick skillet.  Add garlic and sage and sauté 1 minute.  Add sunchoke slices and sauté 5 - 10 minutes, until just starting to brown.  Remove and serve. 

What did I do with the leftover pork roast?  I did what I almost always do with leftovers....make Risotto!

Weekend Herb Blogging is back home with Kalyn this week.  Be sure to stop by her blog, Kalyn's Kitchen and read all the wonderful entries on Monday.

If you're a South Beach fan she's got lots of info and recipes on that as well!  (I don't think my risotto qualifies....)

Bon Weekend!

Comments

[Freya]

Wow, three recipes! I have a pork loin in the freezer waiting to be fabulised so I might just steal your recipe...I love Sage but mine died some weeks ago now so I have to make do with the only herb to survive winter - the humble Thyme! I also adore Artichokes, and I didn't know that they were referred to as sunchokes (is that what you call them in the US or France?). Jerusalem Artichoke Soup is so good. Oh and I wouldn't say no to the risotto either! You eat well in France!

[Jann]

sunchokes-I had one of those when I was six years old-oh no, that was a sunstroke-hee hee1 what a wild and interesting veggie_I have never seen this before. Would love to have a bite!

[Christine]

Hi Katie,
I always keep pork loins in my freezer and now I know how I'm going to fix one. What a delicious sounding recipe. And the sunchokes! I'd eaten them raw but never tried to cook with them. The suggestion for soup sounds divine.

[Lisa]

Yummy, yummy, yummy. I also love sage. I brought my big pot of it inside but it's languishing now...anyway that pork is wonderful -- sage, wine, olives -- all the best stuff!

[Tanna]

Oh, I love your sunchokes! I love sage also. I'm lucky enough to have sage keep growing here through the winter. Just used a bunch on last night's dinner. I haven't noticed it doing anything for my memory though, I wish.

[Scott at Real Epicurean]

I have sage growing in my garden. Incidentally, sage is a great herb to use with Offal - very thematic at the moment ;)

[astrid]

I love to cook with sage and I also love sunchokes - I like the the taste of it.
very interessting recipes, thanks for sharing :)

[kalyn]

Ok, I guess I *have* lost my mind. Sorry I missed you and I have fixed it now!

[gattina]

I've seen sunchokes many times, but I mistaken it as gingers *lol* I love sage too, used to deep-fry them and eat as snack.