Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-04-22
QUALITIES OF SAGE.
Savory and Salutary All the Year
Round.

Nearly all our vegetables and herbs
appear originally to have passed through
some preliminary stage in the laboratory
Of the medical hcrbalist before being adj
mitted to the full honors OF the Kitchen.
| he fact Is not so strange as it might at
hrst sight appear and its results have
certainly been TO the general advantage
OF mankind. for though for the most
part the old EerbaliSt's prescriptions
were of a kind neither to Kin nor cure,
MS Investigations Of the specific quali-
ties of plants were often useful. The
ancients seem to have regarded sage as Il
herb of first Importance to the physi-
cian. and the many traditions concerning
It refer almost entirely to this aspect OF
The plant. Why should a man die who
has sage in his garden?' was one of the
maXims of the famous school of health
at Salerno. The belief in its virtues sur-
vived through the middle ages a,,1 .
handed down with unimpaired vitality Il
quite modern times. The writers Of Tia
Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries
were full of its praises and there was
hardly an ailment of mind or body for
which sage was not pronounced n cure
or an alienation. Thence sprung the
idea thar. as it was thus generally whoIe-
some and recommended by the facuty.
| the housewife might prudentiy admit Il
| dried winter supply to her Storeroom
Ana 50 this sovereign herb" gradually
found It's way into the kitchen. of which
IL mas ever since remained an ndispens-
an!e adJunct Not that il at once lost
all rs medical attributes. He that
| would i've for aye must eat sage in
May, runs the proverb. But the cooks
soon began to take broader views. They
pronounced sage to he equally Sayory
and salutary all the wear round. and OF
special and peculiar value at the season
Of Michaelmas
But this is advancing matters. Even
the best of things eatable have had 10
overcome prejudice and slowly make
Their way; and in the case of more con
ccmatants some help from the encourage
Ing hand of fashion has generally be. n
necessary. The rather nauseous brew
known as sage tea was so common do
l9estlc medicine to our forefathers that
theY could not ut once accept the herb
III the character of savory adjunct. But
we live and learn; and the merits Of
sage as modlfier of certain rich yiandg
began to be acknowledged. 1t seemed
To have kind of natural affinity with
roast pork, goose and duck, and pres
entity became the constant attendant Of
these dishes. Early in the Eighteenth
century an acknowledged authority laid
1t down that ''as TO geese and ducks
cooks should stuff them with some sage
shred fine, and a little pepper and salt !:
ana the same with sucking pig" The
alliance between sage and another high
contracting power seems to have been
adopted gradually. nor were its merits
at once recognized by all parties. Ii is
to be regretted that the active agent in
effectlng this great partnership is I'M
known 10 fame; and, indeed, the prin-
clpals seem To have drifted into the CON
nection by a kind Of accident. Each. of
course, was well acquainted with the
n nd hatt
sometimes met in the ordinary course Of
business. But these meetings were for
some time characterized by a certain
alOofness. Each confronted his neigh
Dor politely, but with distinct coolness
which denoted the jealousy of rivals
Sage, in fact, had had such a large share
in ruling the reast successfully that il
might well resent the growing preten-
slons of the saucy onion. already tread
ing on its heels. One OF the earliest
limitations of their approachment is
found in subsequent addition 10 the
recipe above cited. Serve a little onion
in boat, if liked" And liked it was by
many, if not by all Even fifty years
later we find this rather tentative direc-
ton: stuff only one of your ducks with
sage and onions; tastes must be CON
suited But as 10 the result Of this
consultation there could be no doubt
The stuffed duck was invariably eaten
before his yacuous. brother. and the fame
of the great English firm Of Sage Il
Onions was thoroughly established
London Globe.