Common Sage, or Salvia officinalis, is a bushy perennial, whose natural habitat is the northern shores of the Mediterranean. Its leaves are a velvety gray-green color and are used for seasoning in many dishes such as stuffing, pork, poultry, pasta, and pizza. In our culture, its most popular use is in stufﬁng for poultry. Sage has a strong odor and a warm, bitter taste with a savory finish. Available in the fall in the Northeast, sage is one of the few herbs hardy enough to with stand any ordinary winter

Preparation: Wash sage well in a basin of water by holding the stems and swishing the leaves around to dislodge dirt or sand. Shake off excess water. The ﬂavor of sage tends to intensify as it dries, so when substituting dried for fresh sage, it’s best to use less. Because of its strong flavor, sage, unlike the more delicate herbs, can be added at the beginning of cooking and pairs nicely with other strongly flavored herbs, such as rosemary,thyme, savory, and oregano as well as the lemon herbs. Sage adds good flavor to stufﬁng for poultry or pork: add about l tablespoon of minced sage leaves for each cup of stuffing. Try covering a pork roast with sage leaves before roasting. You can also use sage in your ﬂower arrangements. Its wonderful scent and long-lasting leaves make it a nice addition.