Curried Corn & Chickpeas

I used to think the term “curry” meant a specific blend of spices used in a particular way. That turned out to be semi-true. “Curry,” an Indian chef told me a few years back, “simply means ‘sauce.’ A curry can be what you make it.”

The way we think of “curry,” then, is kind of like the way we think of “salsa.” To us, salsas are chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and peppers mixed with lime or lemon juice; to someone from Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America, a salsa is a sauce. It might be red (the one we think of), green (salsa verde), even brown (mole). So while your family might have a specific way they make their favorite curried dish — which is what your aunt might mean when she says “curry” — everyone has their own version and vision of curry. You can blend your own curry powder, or you can opt for a pre-blended mix.

* A note for the culinarily curious: while curry powder is a blend of dried spices, there is also an herb called a curry leaf. Indian chefs often include curry leaves in simmered curried dishes the way American chefs use bay leaves in our traditional favorites: place one or two dried leaves in the dish while it’s cooking to impart flavor, then pull out the leaves before serving the dish. I’ve never been fortunate enough to find curry leaves Stateside, but perhaps I haven’t looked hard enough. If you do come across curry leaves, feel free to simmer one into this recipe to add extra flavor.

Curried Corn & Chickpeas
Serves two very hearty portions or four medium ones. If you add chicken and rice, this easily makes dinner for four.

4 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
15 oz. canned chickpeas (I prefer Eden since they’re in BPA-free cans and are seasoned with sea salt and a bit of seaweed)
1 T. curry powder
2 cups frozen corn OR 2 ears corn simmered for 3 minutes

Melt a pat of ghee or butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the carrots and onions. Sautée for 5 minutes or until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, for another 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, (I include the water from the chickpeas, too, since I like the way Eden flavors their chickpeas and other canned beans), and curry powder.

Reduce heat to medium-low and let the curry simmer gently for 20 minutes, reducing heat to low if the curry boils. If you’re using fresh corn rather than frozen, now’s the time to simmer those ears for 3 minutes, then let cool enough to handle before slicing off the kernels and discarding the cobs.

Stir in the corn. If you’re using frozen corn, keep simmering for another 5 minutes; if you’re using freshly cooked corn or completely thawed corn, just simmer for another minute or two. (By not overcooking your corn, you’ll wind up with refreshingly crunchy kernels rather than mushy ones.)

Serve immediately. If you’d like, serve over a bed of brown rice and/or with sliced chicken sautéed in butter and curry powder.

Enjoy!

Yuca Tossed with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto

You say pa-tay-to, I say pa-tah-to…or I say yuca. Or maybe ñame or taro or edo or any of the  many other tuber vegetables there are out there. (Although I would assume that Peruvians — who were the world’s original potato growers — would also say patata since they enjoy over 3,000 varieties of them.) But while potatoes are wonderful, other tubers are, too, and it’s always fun to try something new.

However, many of our more exotic tubers are shipped across long distances, so it can be hard to find a fresh taro or ñame. When I did come across a nice yuca at farmer’s market, I was thrilled. And when I got it home, I decided to keep the Latino flair going by tossing the cooked yuca with a Mexican-inspired version on the classic Italian pesto. Although pine nuts are popular in Mexico, too (they’re pignoli in Italy and piñones in Mexico), I went with cashews, which are more widespread south of the border than pine nuts tend to be.

When shopping for unusual tubers, make sure you choose ones that are unblemished and firm. Stay away from the cracked tubers! And double-check them for signs of whitish-bluish mold, too. Fresh tubers shouldn’t have any scent; if they do have a faint sweet/vinegar scent, that’s the mold you’re whiffing. Should you pick unwisely, try your best to trim away the dried-out and blemished parts — there might be enough left to still use.

Yuca (or Potatoes) Tossed with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto
This makes enough for a side dish for 4 or a very filling meal for 2.

1 lb. yuca or potatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped off just above the band holding the bunch together (discard the bottom stems)
Handful of cashews (or more if you’d like your pesto to be particularly nutty)
Sea salt (optional)

Prep the yuca by cutting away the rough outer skin. You can be generous with how much you cut away since you don’t want to use the flesh immediately underneath the skin, either, not unless you get an astoundingly fresh yuca. Odds are that you’ll see white threads running through the flesh just below the skin. Trim those away, too. (If you’re using potatoes, you can leave the skins on.) Get a medium pot of water boiling.

Cut yuca (or potato) into 1″ chunks. Drop into the water, reduce heat to medium-high, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Immediately drain.

While the yuca is simmering, sautée the garlic in a splash of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat for 4 minutes or until garlic is soft and fragrant but not brown and burnt. Put the sautéed garlic into a food processor and add the cilantro and cashews. Process until smooth, adding a drizzle more oil or a splash of water if necessary. Salt to taste.

Toss cooked yuca with pesto and serve. Since cilantro is hardier than basil, pesto made with cilantro tends to keep better than the traditional basil-laden pesto. Any leftover pesto will probably still be green the next day. (The basil-based version turns black within a matter of minutes. Still tastes great, though!)

Enjoy!

Cilantro Hummus

One thing I always have in my pantry: chickpeas. One thing I always have in my refrigerator: tahini. Why? Because hummus is my go-to staple, no matter if I need a last-minute appetizer, a dish to take to a party, or a quick dinner. You just can’t go wrong with hummus. (I omitted garlic and lemon from my pantry/fridge list because those are two ingredients I have on hand no matter what — don’t need to remember to stock those indispensable items!)

Aside from gorgeous flavor and surprising heartiness, another key attraction of hummus is its readiness to be customized. You can blend in anything from herbs to cooked veggies and other beans/legumes. (How about blending in some cooked lentils and white kidney beans for a three-bean dip?) You can also spice hummus to suit your taste buds: add a dash of cayenne if you’re a fan of hot & spicy, add chili powder for a south-of-the-border tinge to your Mediterranean vibe, or sprinkle on some sumac for authentic tang and color.

For this batch, I decided to throw in the bunch of cilantro I had in my fridge that I needed to use. Not only did the hummus turn out to be a beautiful color, the cilantro suited the chickpeas (and everything else) perfectly. I think all my hummuses might be green from now on!

Cilantro Hummus

1 sizeable bunch cilantro
15 oz. can of chickpeas (Eden is my favorite), drained but liquid reserved
4 cloves garlic, chopped and sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil for 4 minutes over medium-low heat or until garlic is fragrant and softened
Juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lemon (some lemons yield a lot more juice than others!)
1 T. tahini
1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin (I love cumin, so I use a hearty teaspoon)

Rinse the cilantro very well — dirt loves to nestle into those edged frilly leaves! — and cut off the bunch right above where the stems are tied together, going a bit higher if the bottom leaves are yellowed. You want the nice fresh green stuff. Put the cilantro tops (stems and all) into a food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Process until somewhat smooth, then pour in a bit of the reserved bean liquid and process again. Add more liquid if necessary, tasting the hummus as soon as it gets fairly smooth to see if you want to add a bit more lemon juice.

You could take this same idea and make your hummus with basil rather than cilantro, or you could even throw in some mint for a change of pace. Herbs + hummus = delicious!

Serve immediately with crackers, chips, flatbread, veggies, pasta, chicken, lamb…you name it. Or you can keep the hummus in the refrigerator for up to a week to enjoy as a quick snack or easy meal.

Enjoy!

DIY Herbed Cheese

‘Tis the season for fresh herbs! Whether you grow them or buy them, herbs are a quick and easy way to add pizzazz to your summer dishes. Just snip the leaves with a pair of kitchen shears or mince them with a sharp knife — you generally want to avoid using the stems since they can be woody and tough — and add your fragrant flavors to sauces, dressings, salads, and dips.  Or you can add them to various dairy products to make intensely herbed butters and cheeses.  You can buy pre-herbed versions, sure, but the pre-herbed stuff can’t compare to one that’s made fresh on the spot.  Besides, you might want minted butter for your simmered carrots or basiled cream for your alfredo dishes, and good luck finding those options on the shelf! But DIY herbing knows no boundaries.

For my herbed treat, I chose to snip off some fresh chives, dill, and summer savory to stir into my creamy goat cheese.  You could choose that combination, too, or you might want to blend minced rosemary, oregano, and basil into softened butter.  Or perhaps simmer some whole milk or cream with lavender for 10 minutes, then strain out the lavender and use the herbed milk or cream in tea, with fruit, or in baked goods.  Which herbs you use in what doesn’t really matter — the only trick is to make sure that the herbs are minced (unless you’re using them as a steeping flavor to be removed) and that whatever you’re putting the herbs in is soft/liquid enough to accept them.

And if the added flavor weren’t enough of an incentive, ultra-fresh herbs are also ultra-high in micronutrients.  We’re talking antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, even compounds that have antibacterial and antiviral properties.  And did you know that basil and mint are especially high in those much-sought-after omega 3 fats?  Talk about even more of a reason to enjoy pesto!*  So if you haven’t planted your garden yet, put some herbs into your pots, or if you’re not much of a gardener, check out the fresh herb section of your local market.

Enjoy!

* Assuming that the pesto is also made with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh pine nuts; refined oil like canola oil, soybean oil, and anything-except-extra-virgin olive oil won’t confer the same benefits that extra-virgin olive oil will.  Fresh pine nuts are also a much better bet than old ones that have gone rancid and are starting to taste bitter and “off” rather than creamy and a little sweet.

Indian-Spiced Popcorn

As far as whole-grain snacks go, you can’t beat freshly popped popcorn.  But I’m not talking about chemical-drenched “buttery” microwave popcorn — I’m talking about organic plain popcorn you pop yourself and flavor any which way you’d like.  You can stick with the classic butter approach, or you can go with whatever’s on your mind and in your pantry.  I’m talking using spices, nuts, cheeses, fresh herbs, maybe even honey … popcorn can be made a million different ways.  My #1 go-to easy favorite is drizzling the popped corn with extra-virgin olive oil and dusting it with sea salt and berbere or chili powder.  A hint of cayenne pepper and a dusting of finely grated Parmesan is another sure-fire winner.  For dessert popcorn, I swap the oil for honey and the savory spices for cinnamon.

Lately, though, I’ve started adding fresh herbs and freshly squeezed citrus juice to my popcorn.  Both of those ingredients give the crunchy kernels an amazing amount of zing; lime juice is a particularly welcome ingredient.  For this batch of popcorn, I opted to add some Indian spices directly to the cooking fat.  That way, the heat expands the flavor of the spices and makes them even more savory.

Indian-Spiced Popcorn

1 T. coconut oil OR ghee
2 tsp. curry powder
1/3 cup raw, plain popcorn (preferably organic)
Lime juice from 1/2 a lime (or more if you’d like more tartness)
Fresh cilantro, minced (I like a lot of cilantro, but you may prefer just a hint)
Roasted peanuts, finely chopped (again, I like peanuts a lot, but you may want to just scatter a small handful over the popcorn)
Sea salt to taste (if the peanuts are salted, you won’t need much additional salt)

Place the oil in a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Heat over medium-low heat for 1 minute before adding curry powder and popcorn kernels. Place lid on pot and let kernels swell and pop, shaking pot often while holding the lid down tightly. Kernels will take about 5 minutes or so to fully pop; you’ll hear the furious sound of the kernels hitting the underside of the lid as they turn inside-out. When the barrage of sound fades to a tiny, occasional pop, spill the popped kernels into a large mixing bowl.*

Drizzle lime juice over popcorn. Toss popcorn with cilantro, peanuts, and a dash of salt. Taste to see if you’d like to add more salt (or lime juice or cilantro or peanuts) and toss one more time. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

* Note: if you have a popcorn popper, by all means use that instead.  I just find that I’m inclined towards keeping everything as simple as possible and using basic kitchen tools for a lot of different purposes (rather than having single-purpose items like popcorn poppers, rice steamers, etc.).

Lavender & Mint Herbal Bouquet

Herbal bouquets are a great way to dress up your windowsills and your meals.  (Beverages, too!)  Most herbs are sturdy plants that will last a week or more in a vase, especially if you refresh them with cool water every day.  And the best part about having herbs close at hand is that you’re more likely to use them: a few fresh mint leaves in your tea, a sprig of thyme tucked into your chicken and pasta, some fresh lavender sprinkled over your salad.  You can make bouquets out of herbs you cut from your garden or fresh herbs that you buy at the store or farmer’s market.

As cooler days approach, you can keep the indoor herbs tradition going by transplanting some outside herbs into a pot and placing them in a warm and sunny spot inside.  (But be careful not to put them right next to a heat vent, because too much hot air will dry them out.)  Indoor herbs will add natural fragrance to whatever room they’re in.  Some of them — sage and chives come to mind — are so powerfully pungent that you may actually want to leave them outside.  If your formerly outdoor plants don’t take kindly to being shuttled inside, try growing new plants from seeds.  As long as you give them nutritious, well-drained soil, they ought to sprout within 7 to 10 days.

In the meantime, enjoy your fresh-cut herbal bouquets!

Mint & Lemon Verbena Tea

Now that herb gardens are in full swing and so is the hot weather, take advantage of both!  Most leafy green herbs make a refreshing herbal “tea.”  (I say “tea” because true teas by definition contain leaves from the tea plant, camellia sinensis.  If it doesn’t have tea in it, it can’t really be tea…but by this point, we’ve gotten used to calling anything that’s leafy, green, and steeped “tea,” so I’ll just go ahead and say tea.  For the record, though, non-tea steeped beverages are infusions.)

You can make fresh herbal teas the same way you’d make regular bagged tea: pour boiling or almost-boiling water over the leaves and let them steep.  I like to let mine steep for at least 10 minutes before I add ice cubes and make the hot tea into a refreshing chilled tea.  I also like to crush the leaves with my fingers before I pour water over them — that way, they’ll release more of their flavors.

Aside from the joy of harvesting your own food from your own garden or windowsill, another big bonus of making herbal teas is that they’re caffeine-free.  (The tea plant naturally contains caffeine, but seeing as you’re not using actual tea plant leaves…)  And if you’re a big caffeine fan and a tea purist, you could combine your fresh herbs with bagged green tea leaves and enjoy the best of both worlds!

A Few Herbal Tea Combinations:

• Mint & Lemon Verbena
• Rosemary & Lavender
• Basil & Thyme
• Dill & Parsley

Pink "Peppercorns"

Corned beef has nothing to do with corn — at least, not the kind of corn we usually think of.  Peppercorns don’t have anything to do with corn, either.  And it turns out that pink peppercorns don’t have anything to do with corn OR pepper.  How’s that for a “huh”?

A “corn” in old-time (or olde thyme) English parlance meant something small, bitty, and hard.  Nowadays, we’d probably use the word “grain” to describe that kind of thing — for example, a grain of sand or a grain of salt.  But back then, salt-brined beef wasn’t “grained,” it was “corned,” hence corned beef.  Had we named peppercorns within the last hundred years, they probably would have been peppergrains.  And now doesn’t the idea of having corns on your feet make more sense, too?

That explains the “corn” part.  The fact that pink peppercorns also don’t have anything to do with pepper stems from the fact that while white, green, and black peppercorns are all stages of the same fruit from the same plant — in the same way that white, green, and black tea are all leaves from the camellia sinensis plant in various stages of oxidation — pink “peppercorns” are from an entirely different plant (commonly known as Brazilian Pepper, Rose Pepper, and/or Peruvian Pepper; the others are just called Black Pepper).  If you look closely at each color peppercorn in a pepper mix, you’ll see that the white, green, and black ones look much more alike than do the pink ones.  And if you taste them singly, you’ll discover that the pink peppercorn doesn’t taste very peppery at all — rather, it’s reminiscent of cinnamon and allspice.  (One of my friends whom I had try various peppercorns said the pink ones tasted like candy.)

Despite the fact that pink peppercorns aren’t what their name implies, they’re my new favorite spice.  And to think I’ve been overlooking them all this time!  I now use pink peppercorns both by themselves and to create a custom proportion of mixed peppercorns.  It’s easy enough to make your own blend — just pour in more of whichever color you like best.  Many markets nowadays stock jars of all white peppercorns, all pink, all green, etc.  Once in a while, I even crush the pink peppercorns with a mortar and pestle to maximize their fresh spiciness and beautiful color.

Try a pink peppercorn or two and judge for yourself!

Nasturtium Atop a Salad

You can add visual appeal, flavor, and exotic flair to any dish just by topping it with an edible flower or two.    (Which you probably already have growing in your backyard.)  Sprinkle rose petals onto a bowl of vanilla ice cream, and suddenly you have a romantic dessert guaranteed to knock the socks off of a Valentine date.  Slip little violets into your ice-cube trays before freezing and then watch your dinner guests’ reactions when you serve them drinks adorned with frozen, floating flowers.

The blossoms from basil, chamomile, dill, lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme can all be scattered into salads, soups, and main dishes…or make fresh tea with them.  You can even use the flowers from everyday clovers and dandelions.  (Makes you redefine “weeds,” doesn’t it?)  Just be sure that you choose flowers from organic sources — if you’ve sprayed your lawn with pesticides or fertilizers, don’t eat anything from it.  Florists are also not the best source of edible flowers since they typically aren’t focused on organic growing methods.  You’re better off either buying edible flowers from a produce market where they’re intended to be eaten or cultivating your own organic garden.  For a comprehensive list of edible flowers and their characteristics, check out The Organic Cook’s Bible.

To create this salad, I tossed cucumbers, apricots, pinenuts, leftover cooked green beans, and a medium-sharp cow’s milk cheese with some balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.  It was a nice mixture in and of itself, but then I decided to make it really special by snipping a few nasturtium flowers off of the plant in my backyard and using them as edible garnish.  They added just the right amount of pepperiness and zip!

So the next time you’re thinking about trimming back a lilac bush or ripping out some impatiens, consider putting a few blossoms on your plate (yes, lilac flowers and impatiens are both edible).  Even if you don’t eat them, they’ll add a new level of interest to whatever you’re serving.

Enjoy!

Spices with Mortar & Pestle

Spices have always made the world go ’round: during the Greco-Roman era, the Incense Route (which stretched from Egypt to India) played host to traders buying and selling spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom; during the Middle Ages, the key players in the spice commerce were Arab traders and the Republic of Venice.  (Venice functioned as the gateway between the Arab world–where the spices were shipped in from the Far East–and the European world.)  As the flow of exotic spices continued, they went from being luxuries to becoming necessities, and the European powers became determined to establish their own trade routes.

Despite the determination of the would-be spice purveyors, the east-to-west chain wasn’t broken until Magellan’s voyage in the first half of the sixteenth century.  (Columbus had tried to sail west to find India, but instead of landing in the Far East, the winds led him to America’s shores.)  When Europeans finally did find a way to circumvent their competitors’ channels, fierce competition for the precious spices broke out amongst the colonial powers.

Though the spice-trade fervor has cooled since the eighteenth century, spices continue to excite our tastebuds and introduce us to new flavors and cultures.  Here is a sampling of my favorites.

Berbere is a spice mix used in Ethopian cooking.  It’s primarily added to stews–it makes for a very exotic chili!–but I also like to add it to lamb dishes and hearty vegetarian casseroles.  Just one teaspoon per pound of meat/9×13 pan of vegetables/pot of stew can transform a ho-hum meal into a memorable one.  Be sure to spoon the individual spices into a clean glass jar (I save my empty spice jars and re-use them) and store it in a cool, dark place.

This makes enough for a small sampling of berbere–it’s very easily doubled.

2 T. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/16 tsp. cloves (also considered to be a “dash”)
1/16 tsp. cinnamon
1/16 tsp. allspice
1/16 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. fenugreek (if you don’t have this and aren’t much of a spice hunter, you can substitute celery salt)

Before using, shake jar to thoroughly mix spices.

Jerk seasoning is another exotic favorite and goes well with everything from chicken and pork to shrimp and firm-fleshed white fish. This Caribbean specialty gets its unique flavor from the preponderance of allspice. (Which is normally only found in desserts within American cuisine.) Due to the inclusion of lime and garlic, this is more of a sauce than a seasoning–use it within 10 days of storing it in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, mix:
1 T. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne (or less/more, depending on your taste)
2 T. brown sugar

In a small pan, sauteé over medium heat:
2 T. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced

When garlic is fragrant (2-3 minutes), add spice mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is clumping together. (About 2 more minutes.) Be careful not to let the mixture burn!

Let the mixture cool, then put in a blender and blend with:
1 tsp. white pepper
1 T. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 small onion, minced
1/3 c. lime (or lemon) juice
1/2 c. red wine vinegar

Refrigerate mixture in a tightly-sealed jar for up to 10 days.

Although there are as many kinds of curry powders as there are cooks, I prefer the basic version given in The Joy of Cooking–it’s simple to make and you probably already have the ingredients. (Also, I’m a big fan of turmeric.) Curry powder makes a great instant seasoning for rice pilafs, stir-frys (vegetarian or with lamb or chicken), and marinades like the curried yogurt used to flavor chicken tandoori.

1 T. ginger
1 T. coriander
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 T. turmeric

Place in clean jar and store in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using.

By using these and other spices, you can give your tastebuds a world tour!

Fresh cilantro

Many people know cilantro by its other names–Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley–but not many people realize that cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant.  (Coriander is the seed.)  It’s an interesting juxtaposition; coriander’s smooth sweet/sharp character is worlds apart from the assertive, almost soapy tang of cilantro.  No question about it–cilantro/coriander is the ultimate two-in-one herb.

Try chopping up fresh cilantro and adding it to Mexican or Southwestern-style salads for some added flair…or use a sprinkling of it to perk up a bowl of chili.  Vietnamese shrimp and noodle dishes sometimes pair cilantro with mint for a powerful-yet-refreshing flavor.  North African cuisines make good use of the coriander and the cilantro–the former to marinate meats and give depth to stews (coriander is the yin to cumin’s yang) and the latter as a last-minute garnish.  However you choose to cook with cilantro, just remember two things:  a little bit goes a long way, and always add it at the last minute since heat will cause it to wilt and lose its bright character.  Remember, too, that you can keep it for a week or more in the refrigerator if you place the stems in a glass of water and refresh the water every other day.

Curiously enough, a fresh vanilla bean has no flavor.  It has to cure for six months for the vanillin–tiny fragrant crystals–to form inside and then outside of the pod.  During this process, the pod shrinks to half its former size and begins to wrinkle and turn a dark chocolate brown.  From there, it is either stored and sold as whole pods or extract.  (The latter is achieved by soaking the pods in 35% alcohol.)

Since true vanilla is very expensive, artificial extracts are often sold alongside the real thing.  What you purchase is up to your tastebuds, of course, but I wouldn’t buy the artificial variety, not when I can get the real thing.  It is also possible to use a single vanilla bean (which will probably cost at least $4 or $5) more than once–you can cut it open and use its seeds in recipes, you can put the seeds in sugar to make vanilla sugar, you can drop the empty pod into a pot of chai tea to make it taste even better, and you can let that same pod dry out and then let it sit in a bottle of sunflower oil for two weeks to make your own vanilla massage lotion.  Not bad for $4!

Turmeric Gives Indian Dal a Warm Flavor and Appearance

Although the somewhat-earthy flavor of turmeric is an acquired taste, I love it in Indian tandooris and curries and in Moroccan dishes such as harira. Since it is a very strong flavor, however, I would recommend using it in moderation at first; it could easily be overwhelming.

Thyme has been used to flavor liqueurs and cheeses for centuries, and it is still one of the main ingredients of the classic French bouquet garni.  It is often used in Creole and Cajun cuisines–the latter employs it to make jerk seasoning.  Chicken dishes often feature both thyme and rosemary.

That popularity crossed over to America, where sage became the main flavor in stuffings and pork sausages.  This strong herb complements strong English cheeses like Cheddar and Derby and is also a very good accompaniment to corn-based dishes such as cornbread and corn chowder.  Its leaves are very thick and almost furry–if you dry your own, make sure that it is completely dry before you cap it and store it.