My mother made the Thanksgiving turkey every year. She always made it with Sage Stuffing. For a stuffed 20 lb turkey and enough dressing to feed a dozen people she used a teaspoon or so of sage.
It could have been less. She was careful not to use too much.
I, on the other hand, would have used a few tablespoons or more. At our house we don’t think too much is possible.
Mon mari would put it on / in just about everything. He always adds a handful of fresh leaves to his potatoes when he grills them. He actually bought his own sage plant last year so he could have a free hand with it.
If you’re not a fan you could use less or substitute rosemary or parsley. Both work well with the lemon.
This is simple, hot weather cooking when you really, really don’t feel like doing anything…..
Grilled Chicken Breasts, Lemon, Sage
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 3 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs ketchup
- 2 tbs fresh sage, chopped
Instructions:
- In a small bowl mix lemon juice, oil, ketchup and sage.
- Place chicken breasts in a dish with sides and pour marinade over. Let marinate 10 – 20 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Remove from marinade and cook on barbecue grill for 7 – 10 minutes per side, or until done, basting with marinade.
- Could also be sautéed in a nonstick skillet for same amount of time. Serve.
I decided to grow my tomatoes from seed this year.
In January I looked at the online site I normally use. There are so many sizes and colors but, eventually, I made my choices and placed my order. I like the site because I can order just a few seeds if that’s all I want. Who needs a packet of 100 zucchini seeds when 10 are more than enough?
I carefully planted the seeds on the 1st of March and set-up a grow-light over the table.
Starting in April, when the sun was stronger and the days warmer, I carried the trays outside to be in the sunshine whenever possible.
In the middle of May, when the soil was finally warm enough I planted them in the garden.
It’s now the middle of August and a few days ago I picked the first tomatoes.
I have no idea what what they are…..
The lateness of the crop (normally we’re inundated with tomatoes by the middle of July) I attribute to our house being too cold for the seedlings and the early summer being cold and wet.
The mystery as to what they are I attribute to the people putting the little seeds into the tiny bags just messing with me.
I ordered 3 different cherry tomatoes – I have identified those and they are as ordered,
I planted 3 Roma plants from the same little bag of seeds. They have grown as expected.
For the rest I ordered:
- 1 Green Zebra
- 1 Tigerella (like the Green Zebra but red)
- 1 medium white
- 1 medium yellow
- 1 medium dark red
- 1 large orange
- 1 large purple
- 1 large pink
- 1 large yellow and red
- 1 large orange and red
I have:
- 1 Tigerella
- 2 medium dark red
- 1 large orange
- 5 large yellow and red
- 1 that’s kind of small and pale and I have no idea yet…. could be red
I guess I should just be grateful that some of them are finally ripening.
Every year I decide that the following year I’m skipping the garden and just going to the market.
Every year, as winter starts to fade I start looking at the seed catalogs..
Sigh……
I don’t like sage. Neither does the husband, so I don’t cook with it. I think it’s because my grandmother used to make sage dressing as well, but it was sage with a little bit of bread crumbs. Completely overpowered the turkey, the dressing and anything else that was baked in the oven that day including the pumpkin pies. It was…less than appetizing.
I planted cherry tomatoes once. Every. Single. Year. After that I had scores of volunteer plants. Everywhere. It was overwhelming how many came up all the time. And they all had tomatoes and they all left seeds that came up the following year. *sigh*
We love sage too Katie…I definitely would be using at least a tblsp. in turkey stuffing! When I stopped doing the veggie garden the first year was tough. Then it got easier because I can buy so much fresh organic produce at our farmers market. Once in a while I still miss the veggie gardens, but I am also grateful to have more time to do other things.
Likewise, I don’t like sage. Can I do it without it?
nightsmusic, I do realize that we are somewhat unusual in our love of sage LOL. I’ve been freezing the cherry tomatoes – the skins pop off when thawed and I add them to soup. I add everything to soup
Ina, every year I say it’s the last time….. I have had trouble in the past growing sage – it always died out in late summer but I have a big one growing now that should keep us happy for awhile – fingers crossed.
Jimmy, try rosemary or parsley – both would be good.
I have little space to grow anything and tomatoes have always failed for me. The market it is! Fortunately I have good farm market access in the summer. I do successfully grow sage though, so I can make sage-based recipes from my own garden at least.
You threw me for a loop when I saw ketchup! I am intrigued for sure. I would not have thought of that in an herb grilled chicken recipe at all.
What happened to the Green Zebra ? No show ? I love the name !!!!!
Rachel, I tossed in the ketchup to thicken it a bit. It’s both fun and frustrating to have a vegetable garden LOL
Kate, I love the Green Zebra – they’re light green with a dark green stripe. We want more than boring red ones lol