When in doubt, fry it.

We have a ton of sage bushes out back. So, when my wine-a-day desk calendar suggested frying sage leaves and enjoying them like potato chips with a glass of champagne, how could I say no? I rarely refuse the demands of the wine-a-day calendar. It can be so dang persuasive.

We dusted them in a little flour and plopped them in the oil.

Once crispy, we tried the fried leaves. They were kind of bland, really. The sage flavor really mellowed out. Downing these puppies plain was no longer an option.

Luckily, it was burger night at Case de Bigger, Better, Best. Together with fresh mozzarella, the fried sage came back to life and added just the right amount of flavor and light crisp to the burgers.

Verdict: Totally worth doing if you have left over oil and sage leaves. Use them as a topping for burgers, pizza, Italian nachos or pasta bakes.