Fall Flavors | Sage | 8 Recipes and A Little Sage Wisdom

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all enjoy family time and delicious dinners today! So far we’ve talked about Cinnamon, Cranberry, Clove, Apple, Ginger and Thyme! If you missed any of these, the links are at the end of this post. I am a little sad to be finishing up this series, as I’ve learned a lot myself! Maybe I’ll have to come up with another similar theme for winter!

Sage has been consumed for thousands – yes that’s right – THOUSANDS of years, a native to countries around the Mediterranean sea. It has been used to preserve meat, improve memory, ward off evil spirits, assist with joint pain, menopausal sweats, infertility, and has even been linked to controlling blood glucose levels according to Medical News Today. Along with oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and basil, it is a member of the mint family.

WorldsHealthiestFoods.Org reports:

The Greeks and Romans were said to have highly prized the many healing properties of sage. The Romans treated it as sacred and created a special ceremony for gathering sage. Both civilizations used it as a preservative for meat, a tradition that continued until the beginning of refrigeration. What these cultures knew from experience, that sage could help to reduce spoilage, is now being confirmed by science, which has isolated the herb’s numerous terpene antioxidants.

Sage’s legendary status continued throughout history. Arab physicians in the 10th century believed that it promoted immortality, while 14th century Europeans used it to protect themselves from witchcraft. Sage was in so much demand in China during the 17th century, appreciated for the delicious tea beverage that it makes, that the Chinese are said to have traded three cases of tea leaves (camellia sinensis) to the Dutch for one case of sage leaves.

According to HerbWisdom.com, “Research has suggested that the presence of volatile oil in Sage is largely responsible for most of its therapeutic properties, especially its anti-septic, astringent and relaxing actions. Sage is also used internally in the treatment of night sweats, excessive salivation (as in Parkinson’s disease), profuse perspiration (as in TB), anxiety and depression. Externally, it is used to treat insect bites, skin, throat, mouth and gum infections.”

So how can you add more sage to your diet? Here are some ways…

 { Oyster & Crab Dressing by LAC }

This oyster and crab dressing is an original recipe by yours truly, and a hit at the holidays! It’s a little time consuming, but trust me, it’s worth it! See the end of the post for the recipe.

{ Slow Cooker Apple & Sausage Stuffing from Number 2 Pencil }

{ Cranberry Sage Mini Crab Cakes from McCormick }

{ Sage Pesto from Creative Living Geneva }

 

{ Prosciutto and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breasts from Kansas City Steak Co. }

{ Delicata Squash and Sage Biscuits }

{ Marbled Lemon Tart with Sage Cornmeal Crust from Martha Stewart }

Let me know how your sage recipes turn out!

For more fall ideas and inspiration from The Olive Shoe, check out:

Other Posts in the Fall Flavor Series

• Fall Flavors | Thyme | Time to Add Some Thyme to Your Cooking
• Fall Flavors | Apple | 9 Apple Recipes to Spice Up Your Fall
• Fall Flavors | Ginger | 8 Recipes to Add A Little Snap of Ginger To Your Life
• Fall Flavors | Clove | 12 Creative Recipes to Try Using Whole Cloves, Ground Cloves and Clove Oil
• Fall Flavors | Cranberry | 8 Creative Recipes to Try Using Cranberries
• Fall Flavors | Cinnamon | 6 Cinnamon Recipes and EO Spotlight

Some Other Fall Themed Posts

• Bringing the THANKS Back to Thanksgiving | By Lauren Cop
• Granny’s Cranberry Salad Recipe
• Fall Into The Season | Creative Parenting | by Lauren Cop
• 6 Fun DIY Thanksgiving Wreaths You Can Make Before Next Thursday
• Ways to Use Uncarved Pumpkins for Thanksgiving
• 5 Fun Halloween to Thanksgiving Fall Decor Ideas
• 10 Inspiring Table Ideas for Thanksgiving

The Olive Shoe | Paperie & Design | Celebrating Creativity and Creatively Celebrating is designed and run by Lauren {LAC} James © 2015 LAC James All Rights Reserved.

Lauren {LAC} James is a Sr. Designer of Product Graphics for an international manufacturing company by day and a creativity crusader, designer, planner extraordinaire, artist and blogger in her “free” time. Follow her and The Olive Shoe on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram! Please subscribe to receive emails, of course, come back and visit again soon!

Please visit the online art gallery {Art by LAC} and Etsy Shop too!

 

Lauren’s Oyster and Crab Dressing

*** This was for a 10×14 pan; for a smaller group I would halve the recipe – except maybe the seafood 🙂

 

Ingredients:

 

3 eggs

2 tsp kosher salt plus a couple of dashes

1 tsp poultry seasoning plus a couple of dashes

1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cloves minced garlic

2 T paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 scallions chopped finely

1/2 to 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 tsp hot sauce

1 onion

1-2 cups chopped celery, with leaves

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1 pkg fresh mushrooms (I used plain old white, but portabello would be FABULOUS)

 

18 oz fresh oysters, coarsely chopped

1 lb crabmeat

 

12 cups breading:

8 cups bread, chopped into small cubes (abt 1/2 inch on a side)

• I used  part of a bag of honey wheat and a package of hamburger buns

1 package of ritz, crushed into med sized pieces

Cornmeal, enough to equal the total (bread, ritz, and cornmeal) to 12 cups

• I used a 6 c. measuring cup/pitcher

Instructions:

 

1 or 2 nights before:

• chop bread into cubes, mix with ritz and cornmeal dust with  a few dashes of each: sage, thyme, kosher salt, and poultry seasoning
• Let sit out, uncovered, over night to let the bread  go somewhat stale
• If 2 nights before, stir a couple of times the next day,  cover, and set aside.

 

The day before:

• Melt butter
• Sautee green pepper, onion, celery until onions begin to become translucent
• Add mushrooms and garlic; cook for a couple of minutes
• Add kosher salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, paprika, cayenne, scallions
• Allow to cook until mushrooms begin to shrink down and soften
• Remove from heat and let cool
• Cover and refridgerate

 

The day of:

• Uncover and stir bread mixture
• Beat eggs with fork; add buttermilk and hot sauce and mix together;  set aside
• Chop oysters into bite sized pieces or a little smaller; mix with crabmeat and Old Bay Seasoning; set aside
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and  butter casserole dish
• Reheat vegetable and spice mixture until butter is melted and mixture is hot and simmering
• Add oysters  and crab to vegetable mixture and cook for 2-4  minutes.
• Spread evenly over bread mixture and pour egg mixture over all ingredients.
• Mix evenly without mashing bread
• Spoon into casserole dish and bake at 325 for 1 hour*

 

* (1 hour was perfect for the large casserole dish, but a half size may not need as long – stuffing should be moist but crispy and toasted on top)