Fresh Friendship

Last week my friend Ann gave me some sage and a sweet bell pepper she had left on the vine until it reddened. Ann grows her garden—carrots, beets, leaf lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and 6 different herbs—in pots on her third-floor balcony. Space is precious up there, and every leaf, bud and fruit treasured.

There’s an analogy here with our friendship. For 13 years, Ann and I shared precious office space. We treasured every conversation, every prayer, every cup of cocoa (her) and coffee (me) and every homemade chocolate chip cookie.

Though we don’t work together anymore, and we both miss the dailyness of us, we keep in touch with Sunday evening chats over coffee and tea, phone conversations, and browsing trips to World Market and the mall. Our friendship has changed its color on the vine, but it’s still as good as ever, and I’m grateful.

Chicken with Sweet Red Pepper and Fresh Sage (serves 4)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons butter, divided
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch wide strips
1 small onion, sliced
15 fresh sage leaves
1 cup white wine or chicken broth

Pound chicken breasts to ½-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with rubbed sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter. When the fat is hot, lay the chicken in the skillet presentation-side down. Cook breasts, turning once, about 7 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining teaspoon butter. When the foam subsides, add pepper and onion to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add 10 sage leaves and cook briefly, until just wilted. Deglaze the skillet with wine or chicken broth. Simmer until reduced by half. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Spoon bell pepper mixture over chicken. Sprinkle remaining sage leaves on top. Serve over hot rice or noodles.