Carol's Wine-country Kitchen: Roasted Potatoes with Sage

I always have a few sage plants in the garden as I love the look of sage and I use it in many different dishes. It’s easy to grow and doesn’t require any special soil; just keep it well drained and make sure it gets plenty of sun. There are many varieties of sage, all of which look attractive in the garden (e.g., purple-leaf, pineapple sage, Holt’s mammoth with its extra-large leaves), but my favorite is the
common kitchen or garden sage. It’s the one that has the most intense and true sage flavor.

If time permits, parboil the potatoes in this dish about an hour or two before serving. Then, put them in the oven just before mealtime. Serve immediately, while they’re crisp and hot.

2 to 3 lb small new potatoes, preferably yellow-fleshed or brown-skinned (about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter)
Salt
1 to 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 4 tbsp chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground pepper
Sprigs of fresh sage for garnish

Scrub potatoes and place in saucepan. Add cold water to cover and season with salt to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are nearly (but not
quite) tender. Drain potatoes well. Place in mixing bowl and add olive oil, garlic, sage, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss well. Let potatoes marinate until about 15 minutes before serving time.

Place potatoes on large baking sheet and place in 500F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender on the inside and crisp and golden on the outside; turn potatoes a few times while cooking so
they don’t burn. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with whole sprigs of sage.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.