Tuesday's Toast

My kitchen garden is overgrown with beautiful tall stalks of sage and for some reason I continue to overlook it for the basil, dill and other herbs. I love the flavor and more so I love the the color sage. It is an American historical color that I used extensively when I renovated a 200 year old Bucks County stone farmhouse many years ago. I promised myself this weekend that I would put the sage to work. The white bean purèe is a perfect side dish for dinner and then the next morning with breakfast. I had mine on miche toast from She Wolf Bakery

White Bean Purèe

1 cup dried white beans such as cannellini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup drained white bean cooking liquid
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf

Fried Sage Leaves

6 - 8 sage leaves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
flour

Rinse dried beans and remove any debris. Soak beans in cold water over night.
The next day, bring water and beans to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, add bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 hours until beans are soft. Add additional water if necessary to keep beans from drying out.
Let beans cool in liquid. Remove bay leaf and drain beans reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Place beans in food processor, add the reserved liquid, chopped sage, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Purèe until creamy adding additional olive oil or reserved liquid to get desired consistency. This can also be done with a potato masher for a thicker more rustic purèe.
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet
lightly cover sage leaves with flour
Add sage leaves to oil and cook for about 30 seconds until leaves are dark green. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels

Brush toast with olive oil, spoon on white bean purèe and top with fried sage leaf