A Touch of Flowering Beauty

Hi everyone!

Last year, at the markets, we used a couple of 5 gallon buckets planted with different herbs to help hold down our canopy. One of the buckets had a sage plant in it.

If you grow or have ever grown sage, you know it is one hardy plant. After the market season was over. We took the bucket to the greenhouse. And of course it is growing beautifully.

Another wonderful part about growing sage is it has the prettiest delicate purple flowers.

It is so nice to see flowering blooms at this time of the year!

And don’t forget, the pretty little sage flowers are edible. They have a more subtle taste than the leaves. Adding them to a fresh garden salad would not only taste good but, the soft purple color would add a wonderful visual contrast to all the greens.

These little flowers are also lovely floating in a cup of hot tea. The flavor would be very mild and you could still get the effects that sage has to offer. When we have a sore throat or congestion, I always add a bit of sage to our tea. It has always had a soothing effect.

Sage,(Salvia Officinalis), is referred to as the herb of longevity. Although best known as an ingredient in poultry stuffing, Sage(or edible sage/garden sage) has been used medicinally for thousands of years. In the Middle ages, Sage was thought to promote longevity. One legend says its healing comes directly from the Virgin Mary.

Native to the Mediterranean region, its name comes from the Latin Salvare, which translates roughly as "to rescue" or "to heal." Sage is often used as a remedy for respiratory infections, congestion, cough, sore throats, appetite stimulant, indigestion and is said to have a beneficial effect on the liver. It is also given for fever, night sweats and urinary problems. Some women even find that it helps with menopausal symptoms.

Sage is a uterine stimulant, so it should be avoided in therapeutic doses during pregnancy. It is safe to use in cooking however. It may also decrease milk production so nursing mothers be aware of that. Gargling or swishing the tea without swallowing should not lead to this effect.

Source

When you plant your herbs remember they also can add color to your garden. Most herbs have beautiful flowers. Since we grow more than just one of each plant, I try to let one flower to see the pretty blooms and to use them in different ways.

We are joining  Fertilizer Friday.

Rubbed Sage.

Have you ever seen a recipe that calls for rubbed sage and wondered whether there was any difference between rubbed sage, ground sage and dried sage?

Well, there is.

Sage, (salvia officinalis) is a Mediterranean herb with a very intense flavor.



Although many purists will tell you that the only good sage is fresh sage, there are actually many applications for dried sage.

If you buy Dried Sage, you will generally find dried whole leaves in the jar.
You can use them whole in chicken soups or other similar applications where you want the flavor but not the leaves. Leaving them whole makes it easier to remove the leaf after you are done cooking.

If the entire leaf is ground into a fine powder, this is called ground sage. It is dense and heavy, like any powdered herb.


Rubbed sage consists of dried sage leaves that have been rubbed between two hard objects, (your hands will work just fine to make your own) so that the soft outer part of the leaf crumbles away leaving the harder stem to be discarded.

Rubbed sage is light and fluffy and looks almost like cotton.

There are many reasons to use rubbed sage instead of ground sage.

Rubbed sage, because of the friction, has the oils already disturbed so they will release into your food more quickly.

Rubbed sage also is lighter, and less concentrated, so a teaspoon of rubbed sage will be less intense than a teaspoon of ground sage. Sage can be a very intense and overpowering herb, and using rubbed sage in place of ground sage allows you to keep the sage flavor more subtle.

If you are following a recipe that calls for ground sage, and you want the sage to be a dominant flavor in the dish, you would need to use twice as much rubbed sage to have the same amount of flavor as ground sage.

You can make your own rubbed sage by taking a dried leaf of sage between your hand, holding it over a plate, and rubbing it briskly between your palms. The powdery soft portions of the leave will crumble away onto the plate leaving the hard stem in your hand.
The stem part is edible and has flavor, but is tough and will feel like you are eating sticks and twigs if you get it in your mouth when you bite into your stuffing or sausage.

The stems can still be used to brew tea or in any other application that will be strained or filtered before serving.

They are Runnin’ Amuck!

Hi everyone!

Holy cow! Our herbs here at home are going crazy! I need to seriously find a good chunk of time to harvest them soon!

Barrels of Peppermint and Spearmint! I have never harvested the mint flowers. I think I am going to do that and play around with some recipes using them.

Time to cut and dry some dill and dill seeds! And in the background you can see a sage plant ready to be cut back and dried as well.

More dill. Some purple basil and oregano all need harvesting!

The lemon balm is just huge! And it needs to be harvested first because we dry and sell this one. It is a popular dried herb of ours because it is very difficult to find dried lemon balm. Customers are always asking for it.

Lemon Verbena, more purple basil and some thyme are so ready to be cut! 

This is about 1/3 of our herbs here at home. They are all doing amazing!  And I have said it before, but just walking near these herbs, the smells are so wonderful! If for no other reason, planting herbs just for the scent would be something I would do!

All of our plants are completely grown chemical free. We have had such great success growing all of our herbs naturally that I can’t even image using any chemicals! 

We have several neighbors who come over and ask to buy some for our fresh herbs here at home because they are making some recipe right then and there that requires certain herbs. They all know we have a lot of fresh herbs here. We tell them to just pick what they need. Then it never fails, a couple of hours later we end up with a bowl of whatever they just cooked/baked. LOL

I am also posting this on our DTL Herbs Blog .

Don’t forget you still have time to enter the Yoplait “Pink Lids” Prize Package giveaway!

Just click the picture above!

Herb Of The Week - Sage

The herb of the week is Sage (salvia officinalis).

Sage is one of the herbs my mother grew when I was a kid. I didn’t know a lot about it then, but I knew that if you picked a leaf and rubbed it between your finger and thumb, it smelled really good.

Growing up out West, I heard constant references to “sagebrush“, and although sagebrush (artemisia tridentate) also has a distinct smell, it is important to note that the two are separate, unrelated, and distinctly different plants.

On a side note, sagebrush was widely used medicinally by the Western Native Americans. It has a very potent oil, which will kill internal parasites and other bacteria. It will also make you "sicker than a dog” for about 48 hours, so I don’t necessarily recommend using it.
But back to Sage, better known as Common Sage, or Kitchen Sage.

Although there are multiple varieties of this particular member of the mint family, when I use the term Sage in this article, I am referring to Common Sage (salvia officinalis)

The word “Sage”, comes from the Latin salvia, which is derived from salvus, meaning healthy.
Although the effectiveness of Sage is open to debate, it has been recommended at one time or another for virtually every ailment. Modern evidence supports its effects as an anhidrotic antibiotic, antifungal, astringent, antispasmodic, hypoglycemic and tonic.

Interestingly enough, while researching the history of the name, I stumbled upon the history of the word “sage’ in another context. A wise person, especially one who can offer good advice, is often referred to as a sage, and the word is also applied to the sound advice that they give. Because of the Latin reference above initially one may think that sage advice is healthy advice, and perhaps it is, but that particular usage of the word actually derived from the Gallo-Roman sabius, which derived from the Latin sapere meaning have good taste.

So, we start with a plant that we can argue is healthy, and has good taste. What more can you ask for?

Growing Sage is not too challenging. Sage requires a little sun, and a bit of water, but is relatively low-maintenance. English Folklore suggests that Sage will grow best at homes where the wife is dominant.

Sage can be grown from seed, but the seed has a very low germination rate and you will likely have more success with a transplant. Sage is a blue-gray evergreen shrub, that can and will grow into a substantial bush if allowed, or can be kept trimmed into tight border elements if desired. It blooms in late spring or early summer, with long spikes of blue to purple flowers.
Sage leaves are at their peak flavor for harvesting shortly before, and immediately after the plant blooms. Your plant may, or may not bloom the first year, but it is recommended that you refrain from harvesting the first year, in order to allow the plant to establish itself. This doesn’t mean you can’t snip a leaf or two from time to time, but a full harvest may be more of a shock than a young plant can handle.

A sage plant can start to lose some of it’s flavor after 3-4 years. For maximum flavor, some gardeners suggest that you keep a steady supply of new cuttings or shoots growing to replenish the older plants.
Our sage plant is about 8 years old, and still has a full, rich flavor, so I take that advice with a grain of salt personally, but I wanted to pass it on, lest someone have a sage plant that is losing its’ flavor.

To fix this problem, if you do have a fatigued plant, simply “earth up” the plant in the fall after the first frost, but before the ground has frozen. This is done by covering the entire plant with soil, leaving only the tips of the banches exposed. This will force those tips to send out new root systems, and in the spring, when you are ready to plant your garden, you will have a new sage plant, complete with roots, growing from each of the branch tips.

As I said, I have not yet felt a need to do this.

Sage can be harvested throughout the season a few leaves at a time, as needed. Fresh sage has a different taste from dried sage. Leaves can be frozen individually and kept in a ziplock baggie in the freezer. When dried, the leaves have a tendency to become very brittle, and I like to run them through a food processor to break them down. For maximum flavor wait until you are ready to use them to do this. For maximum convenience, do it as soon as the leaves are dry, so you will have a constant supply of dried crumbled sage leaves when you are ready top cook.

If you feel that you lost a bit of flavor in the drying or grinding process, then when you are cooking, sprinkle in a bit more to compensate for it.

Sage has a very long history of medicinal use. Its antiseptic qualities make it an effective gargle for the mouth where it is said to heal sore throats. The leaves applied to an aching tooth may relieve the pain.

Sage is also used internally in the treatment of digestive issues, excessive lactation, night sweats, excessive salivation, profuse perspiration, anxiety, depression, female sterility and menopausal problems. Many herbalists believe that the purple-leaved forms of this species are more potent medicinally. This remedy should not be prescribed to pregnant women or to people who have epileptic fits. The plant is toxic in excess or when taken for extended periods - though the toxic dose is very large. Externally, it is used to treat insect bites, skin, throat, mouth and gum infections and vaginal discharge.

Sage Tea or infusion of Sage can be used to treat the delirium of fevers and in the nervous excitement frequently accompanying brain and nervous diseases and has considerable reputation as a remedy, given in small and often-repeated doses. It is considered a useful medicine in liver complaints, kidney troubles, hemorrhage from the lungs or stomach, for colds in the head as well as sore throat and quinsy and measles, for pains in the joints, lethargy and palsy. A cup of the strong infusion may help to relieve nervous headache.

Sage also has multiple culinary uses, that have evolved over the years. In the 17th century, an English author, Parkinson, wrote: "The Kitchen use is to boyle it with a Calves head, minced, to be put with the braines, vinegar and pepper to serve as an ordinary sause.to serve as a sawce for peeces of Veale.." Additionally, Clary sage ( Salvia sclarea), leaves could be "taken dry, and dipped into a batter made with the yolkes of egges, flower and a little milke, and then fryed with butter until they be crispe."

Madeline Wadja, a Master Gardener from Adams County PA, writes: Today we know that garden sage has many uses in the kitchen-none of which involves "braines," fortunately. She goes on to point out that, as a digestive aid, sage is often paired with fatty meats, such as pork and sausages. But is more commonly known for it’s use in poulty, especially stuffing.

Many herbs must be added toward the end of the cooking process, as heat starts to break down the essential oils, but sage is not one of them, and therefore can be added early to stuffings, roasted meats, or stews.

Try covering a pork roast with sage leaves before roasting; or gently separate with your hands the skin from the breast meat of a chicken or turkey, rub a little butter on the meat, then place a small sprig or two of sage under the skin on each breast, pat down the skin, then roast.
Heavy bean or split pea soups are tasty with a little sage added.
Try sage with onion rings (add 2 tablespoons minced sage to the batter for two large onions) or in apple dishes, such as baked apples, applesauce, or apple pie (3 tablespoons of minced leaves for a 9-inch pie).
A delicious bread pudding can be made by layering bread with apples, onions, Swiss cheese, and sage.
Sage is also a natural with eggplant, asparagus, winter squashes, mushrooms, string beans, stewed tomatoes, pumpkin, cherries, and blueberries.
Sage honey (about one-third cup minced leaves warmed with three-quarters cup mild honey) is a wonderful addition to tea or biscuits. Sage cider vinegar makes great marinades.
Marinate goat cheese with olive oil, peppercorns, garlic, and some small sage leaves. Or add one-quarter cup minced sage leaves to an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and let sit for at least an hour before spreading on bagel chips.
You can also throw a handful of leaves and branches on top of the coals at your next barbecue and let the smoke flavor your burgers, chicken or steak.
Or, if you are up for adventure, try this:

Sage Pecan Cheese Wafers (Makes 3 Dozen)
1 Cup (4 oz.) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¾ Cup Flour
¼ Cup Chopped Pecans (or Walnuts)
¼ tsp. Rubbed Sage
1/8 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt (one-fourth)
One-third-Cup Butter or Margarine in Small Pieces
Process first six ingredients in a food processor for 10 seconds. Add butter a piece at a time while processor is running until mixture forms a ball. Roll to one-fourth inch thickness on lightly floured surface; cut with 1 and one-half inch round cookie cutter. (The dough can also be shaped into a long roll, refrigerated, then sliced and baked.) Bake at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet 12-14 minutes until edges turn golden.

Sage has many uses in magic and superstition as well; Sage absorbs negativity and misfortune. It drives away disturbances and tensions, and lifts the spirits above the mundane cares of life. Burn it to consecrate a ritual space. Carry it as an herb of protection. Use it in the ritual bath and chalice. Tradition holds that those who eat sage become immortal in both wisdom and years. Sage is used in wish manifestations and to attract money. Smolder to promote healing and spirituality. Carry to promote wisdom. Use in spells for: Protection; Wisdom; Health; Money and Riches; Spirituality

The Native Americans have long used sage in their cleansing and purification rituals, and Wiccans have used it in banishing, vision quests and fertility and healing rituals, as well as a way to add deep earth respect to other practices.

So, if you want to be rich, clean, wise and positive, and live forever, sage should definitely hold a prominent place in your garden.