November Recipes Featuring Sage

November is the one month everyone dusts off their little container of dried sage from their herb drawer to get ready for Thanksgiving. But sage is such a fabulous plant for all kinds of fall and winter dishes, not just a bit stuffed into the turkey. Sage (Salvia officinalis) is useful in the kitchen because of its flavor, but also because it is excellent for digestion, especially for breaking down heavy meats and greasy foods (does that sound like Thanksgiving dinner or what?). Try to include sage everyday in your meals, especially as the holidays approach and you find yourself eating foods, and more food in general, than is normal. 

SAGE PESTO

Sage pesto is always a favorite whenever we serve it our Open House. It sounds overpowering, but it is one of the best pestos I have ever tasted, and for winter dishes it is unbeatable. Super healthy and great for digestion, it is handy to have around to add to soups and stews, pot roast, rubs for meat, layering for dips, added to cornbread, egg dishes, and omelets.

CRANBERRY SAGE CHUTNEY

I generally do not like chutneys, but this sage cranberry chutney is so delicious, I look forward to it every fall when I can finally get fresh cranberries to make up a new batch (I never make enough to last an entire year). There’s a lot of ingredients, but this recipe goes together quickly. Sage adds such a great
depth to the cranberries and other fruits and spices. it’s really a great gift item, super pretty to look at and an unexpected combination.