Our “Fall Classic”

     The World Series has been known as “The Fall Classic” for decades, but in our family, we have recently added our own fall classic. It’s Food & Wine’s recipe for Warmed Camembert With Wild Mushroom Fricassee (see picture above).

     We have always liked soft cheeses, especially Brie, and many times we have eaten it warm. We usually serve it with a sweet topping consisting of apples or apricots. Our featured recipe takes more of a savory approach. Instead of Brie we use Camembert. It seems to impart more of an earthy flavor, and it also seems to be less runny when warmed.

     The Camembert matched well with the mushroom/walnut topping. The recipe actually called for wild mushrooms, but instead we used shiitake (cultivated) mushrooms, which added a wonderful taste to the concoction. When the sage and parsley were added towards the end of the preparation, we thought it too was worthy of being termed a “fall classic.”    

      For the recipe, click on “Warmed Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee.”

The Herb Often Ignored – Sage

     You’ve watched your sage plant growing in the garden all summer. It was a beautiful addition with its light gray/green leaves and fuzzy texture.

     Its taste will vary according to the variety. Some are quite mild while others can yield a musty flavor if too much is added (usually a problem only if it has been dried). It can also have a salty taste with overtones of mint.

     Most people harvest their sage leaves in the fall. They either use them as a fresh herb addition or they dry the leaves and store them for later use. I leave the plant in the ground until spring. I oftentimes use the leaves in centerpieces. They can still be used as a flavoring herb even at this stage.

Thanksgiving Countdown

     In the past, my sage crop was ignored until Thanksgiving. It’s basically a traditional poultry and stuffing spice. But I’ve always tried to find recipes that called for sage so I could put it to good use. Quite by accident I came across a recipe in Food & Wine that called for sage.

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