(Salvia officinalis)
The Basics:
Native to the Mediterranean region, sage has long, gray-green leaves that are soft to the touch. Breaking out in bright purple blossoms in late spring, sage is a colorful addition to the garden and a delicious herb to have in the kitchen. With a distinctive sweet-and-savory flavor, sage is often used to season roasts, stews, and vegetable soups.
Planting Instructions:
Plant seeds in seeding pots in early spring. Seeds will take about three weeks to germinate. When sage shoots reach a height of 4 inches, replant them two feet apart in well draining soil and plenty of sun. Sage can also be grown from cuttings in seeding pots and replanted after roots have developed.
Fun Facts:
A central flavor component of Thanksgiving meals, sage often seasons the roast turkey, the gravy, and the stuffing, but the use of sage on Thanksgiving is grounded in tradition. The pilgrims are believed to have brought sage across the Atlantic to the new world and may have used it in the first Thanksgiving meal.
Nutritional Properties:
Coming from the Latin word “salvere” meaning “to be saved” or “to be in good health,” Salvia officinalis has been used to ward off old age for centuries. Used in commercial hair tonics to prevent hair from going gray, sage leaves have also been rubbed on the teeth as a natural bleaching agent. No wonder the Romans called it their savior! Sage is also high in antioxidants.
How to Use:
Sage is the star on Thanksgiving Day, but it can cameo in meals all through the year. Sweet potato wedges par-boiled, then wrapped with prosciutto and sage, and roasted, make a wonderful autumn and winter hors d’oeuvre. A few sage leaves can be thrown into pumpkin, squash, or lentil soups to great effect. And a little bit of brown sage butter on pasta or ravioli turns a ho-hum dish into a dinner to remember. Learn more at our “Recipes” page.
