During the Winter it doesn't look very impressive. It dies down a lot and its woody stems act as a trap for all the fallen leaves from the nearby Bronze Maple tree. Soon it will put on a lot of new leaf, and by late Spring it will (if it performs as well as it usually does) be lush and bushy again.
But even now, if you choose carefully, you can find plenty of fresh young leaves, like these:
I wanted some Sage to go in these Polenta Chips I was making. I made the polenta in what has become my usual way, by mixing it into a paste with cold water before cooking it. Along with my Sage, I also added-in some butter, some Parmesan cheese (which I grated) and some chilli flakes.
When the polenta was cooked I tipped it out onto a greased plate and put into the fridge to chill.
When the polenta was completely cold I cut it into "chips".
At the appropriate moment I fried the chips in vegetable oil, making sure to get the frying-pan very hot so that they would go nice and crispy.
Here's the finished thing:
So what started out as just a few leaves from a bedraggled Sage plant led to a plateful of total yumminess, because those polenta chips were absolutely wonderful - crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and tasty too. We ate them with a meal based on Broccoli and Gorgonzola pancakes, which I shall write about in a day or two.
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P.S. I proudly present my new Business Card:
These are "minicards" from Moo.com. Highly recommended! Easy to use; efficient; good value.
Have you tried deep fried sage leaves? Quite a discovery, and absolutely delicious.
ReplyDeleteIndeed - also nice in Saltimbocca, I believe.
DeleteThese look great Mark. A treaty store cupboard alternative to potato chips.
ReplyDeleteThey really cried out for a tomato-and-chilli salsa to dip them in though!
Deletesage is one of those odd herbs I find... I rarely use it but it does have it's place as you've so beautifully show here... not really cooked polenta before so this is a lesson for me too... delightful x
ReplyDeleteThey look delicious. I'm going to have to try polenta after reading about it on your blog.
ReplyDeleteJo, polenta has become for us a must-have store-cupboard ingredient just like flour. We use it a lot. Jane made some pastry which included it, this week, and it was lovely. You can read about it on her "Onions and Paper blog: http://onionsandpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/bookmarked-recipe-cheesy-lentil-pie.html
DeleteBusiness cards - get you! I've never had polenta either
ReplyDeleteSue; you may laugh, but in my job as a Lecturer I meet lots of new people every week, and we often talk about our interests and hobbies, so it is really convenient for me to hand over a card giving my blog and contact details. Who knows, some of these people might share similar interests and become friends and/or Followers!
DeleteSo you and I shared similar careers Mark. After I taught primary children I went on the deliver courses to teachers in using ICT in their classrooms - I met many teachers who also had allotments!
DeleteAh yes, but how many years did you serve in the Army??
DeleteSome of my classes when I was a primary teacher required the application of similar skills but I wasn't allowed to use violence! :)
DeleteOhh I think we shall have to have go with polenta too !- Ive always been a scared of it - I assume you used the dried variety ?
ReplyDeleteMrs H; Yes, I did use the quick-cook variety - very convenient! It's very easy to use.
DeleteIn my humble opinion..you outdid yourself with this recipe. Always been afraid of Polenta ..the whisking thing etc. But these look marvellous and ahem..sinful.
ReplyDeleteLoved the mini cards as well.
My sage looks just like yours at the moment, I love the idea of this polenta to use some of it up!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried frying polenta but now I want to! Looks great and very decadent.
ReplyDeleteLove the sage and the polenta. Loose it good but letting it set uo and frying or grilling is my favorite too. Very sharp card!
ReplyDeleteLike most people above I have never used polenta - thinking that it would be pretty tasteless - your recipe shows how wrong I was. I have loads of sage in the garden but feel its use is fairly limited having such a strong taste - using it with polenta is obviously just what is needed. Love your calling card - Mark Willis for Prime Minister is what I say.
ReplyDeleteElaine; look at polenta this way: would you eat (wheat) flour just in its own? No? Would you consdier it tasteless? Yes? Well, polenta sometimes needs to used like flour - as an ingredient - and add flavourings to it (such as my sage and chilli). As it happens though, I think polenta made up to have a texture rather like mashed potato, is quite nice (even in mashed potato I normally add butter, milk, salt and pepper).
DeleteThey look rather tasty, I may have to try that too. We even have a pack of polenta sitting on the kitchen table at the moment, though I've never tried it this way.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of moo cards too, yours are very smart.