Sage & Tarragon... I have no clue how to use them

[Claire]

Both are also good in lean pork dishes. Pound some filets really thin. Roll with the sage or tarragon leaves (I'd use one or the other, not both), bread, sautee. Then pour some wine (preferably fortified), cover, and let simmer for a bit. Slice and pour the liquid over the pinwheels over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.

Most herbs can be chopped finely then tossed into the water you're using for couscous or rice. When done, toss it all, add another pinch or two of the fresh herbs and some butter or olive oil.

 

[CraigC]

Stick whole sage leaves under the skin of whole cornish hens or chicken. I don't use tarragon because, except for basil, any "liquorice" flavor is frowned upon in this establishment. Same goes for marjoram.

Craig

 

[CWS4322]

Stick whole sage leaves under the skin of whole cornish hens or chicken. I don't use tarragon because, except for basil, any "liquorice" flavor is frowned upon in this establishment. Same goes for marjoram.

Craig

I stick about 6-8 fresh sage leaves under the skin of turkey when I roast it. Tarragon is one of those "love it, hate it" type of herbs. A friend hates all the anise-like flavors. I like to combine fennel with dill, so I would think tarragon would combine well with dill...

 

[buckytom]

lol, craig, i read your post about licorice flavour in the voice of that talking baby from the etrade commercials.

btw, chervil has been mentioned recently, with great respect.

and italian sweet sausage ain't italian sweet sausage in jersey without fennel seed. there are supermarkets that make their own sausage with and without in the italian-american neighbourhoods nearby me, but they're just playin'for the left footers.

 

[ChefJune]

Sage is also a great flavoring for potatoes!

I love tarragon with chicken, in chicken salad, as seasoning or combined with mustard panko for fish.

Don't give that Basil away! Once you get hooked on Pesto/Pistou you will never have enough of it.

 

[CWS4322]

For my "inside" herb garden in the winter, I have cinnamon basil, purple basil, regular sweet basil, and lemon basil. I plant seeds about every 3 weeks from November until April. The ones I plant in April go outside for the summer. Basil, fresh tomatoes, some EVOO, basalmic vinegar, and feta cheese...yum. I also overwinter my rosemary, french tarragon, oregano, thyme, and sage. Sometimes they dry out, but I try to mist them every day and keep them in the sunniest window. Herbs actually like it cooler, so one of the problems is that our houses are too warm in the winter and too dry for them. And, I have a bay tree that goes outside in the summer and comes in for the winter...It's sprouting new shoots now!

You can buy fresh grocery store mint, put it in water, and it will root. I do that in the winter as well so I can have fresh mint. The seeds don't germinate well for me for some reason.

 

[mija]

Chicken loves tarragon: leaves taken from the stem and either chopped or all; if you are roasting, push some in the cavity, I also like putting a lime or lemon pricked all over in the cavity. You should also slide some under the breast skin and at the neck. I also use it in salads and soups.

Sage, it all depends on which sage you are growing. Ordinary sage goes well in soups and to cook meat. But pineapple sage is definitely fruit salads friend.

From the point of view of meat, talking about herbs, my grandmother used to say: “If an animal would eat it, then it will cook beautifully with it.”

Basil and tomatoes are a classic.

 

[NoraC]

I did a pasta primavera for lunch yesterday with a brown butter sage sauce - YUM. Would have been even better garnished with some toasted walnuts, but I had an allergy issue with one guest (actually a low dose response/chemical burn issue, but she prefers to call it an allergy)

 

[joesfolk]

I love tarragon in anything tomato based. A little goes a long way. It has an anise flavor which frankly I am not fond of but in sauces used sparingly it adds a real depth of flavor. By the way, tarragon will come back every year so it's a real bargain in the garden. And each year mine gets so big that I have tons to dry for winter or to give away to friends and neighbors.

 

[flpaintmaster]

I haven't read the complete thread so my suggestion may be a duplicate. Tarragon works well with wilted spinach; saute a little box of raisons & a handful of sliced almonds, when the raisons are fat & round & and the almonds have some brown on them add a bag of spinach & leaves from a few sprigs of tarragon, sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar over it if you like. Tarragon & basil will kick up a salad very nicely I think.

Tim Abbott

 

[Claire]

As a general rule, I find that spices and dried herbs need longer cooking, but are stronger. So put in a little bit earlier and taste, taste, taste. Fresh I tend to add at the end, for a fresh taste that sort of perks up the dish. Many people do NOT like licorice, and I've almost given up on the licorice flavored herbs and spices, much as I like them myself. Sage? It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

 

[no mayonnaise]

Surprised no one has mentioned tarragon and mushrooms. A classic combination.

I was going to post this verbatim until you beat me to it lol. I think tarragon works with mushrooms supremely, and pairs with mushrooms just as well as thyme.
I also think tarragon goes will with french fries. Is that weird?

 

[Foodie-4-Life]

Another idea for your sage, especially if you have vegetarian guests, is combining classic flavors of pumkin, sage, and butter/oil. One way is to make pumpkin ravioli with sage and butter sauce. Cut out the stem a pie pumpkin and remove all the seeds and "guts". (The seeds can be saved for a garden, or you can baked them seperately for snacks!) Stab about six slits in the pumpkin, this will help it steam and not explode in the oven. Roast the pumpkin at 350 F, for half an hour to 45 minutes. While it is cooking, make ravioli (a simple basic pasta recipe I am sure you can find online). Once the pumpkin is done, remove some of the meat and put it inside the ravioli as stuffing. Be sure to seal the edges! Boil the ravioli. Make a sauce from melting butter (or if you are vegan, use oil) in a pan and adding your sage to it. When the sage is starting to wilt (and you should be able to smell it), remove the sauce from the heat. Combine when the ravioli finishes cooking. Add salt, parmesan cheese, and pepper to your taste.

As a college student with limited countertop space, I would roast the pumpkin (as indicated above) then shred the pumpkin meat with a fork, going up and down. It makes this fine, spaghetti texture to it. I'd cook the butter and sage as above, and pour over the top. It made for a really delicious fall treat! You can even do this with just a microwave, by cutting the pumking up into manageable chunks after it has been cored, and nuking it for about 15-17 minutes. Microwave the butter/oil with sage for 1.5 - 3 minutes.

Hope that helps!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If no one else has said it, sage pares very well with savory bean dishes. I often use it with cumin and coriander for bean soups, or refried beans, rice 7 Beans, etc. It's great in split pea soup, and lentil soup too.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Good idea Chief. Sage in beans and for me, especially split pea soup. I usually put in marjoram, gotta try this too. This might bump it up a little.

Sage is also good in Italian foods. A little, a hint of it. I like basil and oregano and fennel flavors, but when I add a little sage, it bumps these kind of dishes up too.

Tarragon is good in many sauces, like bearnaise or hollandaise or just snipped on top as a garnish. For my own use, it gets put on some salads, greek salads, chicken salads, potato salads, much like some use parsley.