Thayer in the Kitchen

I grow sage in my container herb garden but don't use sage nearly as much as some of the other herbs (such as basil).  This is an excellent soup that uses one of my favorite vegetables, asparagus, but also lots of sage.  The soup is thickened by using a little bit of rice which you'll never notice. Fried Sage Leaves Oil (sunflower oil is a good choice) for frying 24 sage leaves Soup 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lightly packed and coarsely chopped fresh sage 4 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons white rice (I used arborio rice which is the only kind of white rice I have) 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel, divided 2 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed and sliced in 1/2-1" pieces 3/4 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shaved Parmesan cheese (available in large square jar at Costco) or you could do it yourself with a vegetable peeler Fry sage leaves in hot oil until sizzling stops.  Drain on paper towels. Melt butter ...