The old English word "sage" means a wise man, and this term comes from the belief that sage was thought to impart wisdom and improve one's memory.

For first time herb growers it's an excellent choice. Sage thrives in hot dry soil, and can be harvested continuously until the first hard frost. The variety I reccommend is the common Garden Sage or Salvia Officinalis.

Sage makes a great herb vinegar combined with thyme and oregano. Try snipping it into cooked green beans or sauté it with garlic and olive oil. Fried sage is a neat little garnish and treat. Heat oil as you would for French Fries. Slip single leaves into the hot oil for a few seconds; remove and drain. You can use the fried sage for garnish or salad toppings. Sage has a reputation of being very strong, but it is a wonderful accent to vegetables and meats. Only a few leaves at a time and you will be pleased with the results.

Sage needs fairly dry soil and full sun to thrive. Resist the urge to water it between rains; it simply does not need extra waterings. Sage does tend to become woody and will benefit from cutting back to 6 or 8 inches from the ground. Do this in the spring or early summer. It will grow back for another harvest. We are discussing the common Garden Sage or Salvia Officinalis.

There are many variations of sage available and most of those are not as hardy. Feel free to substitute and experiment with other sages.

Sage can be frozen, dried or used fresh. To freeze simply rinse and pat dry the whole leaves and place in resealable freezer bags. There is no need to thaw before using. For drying, hang the stalks upside down in a dry, dark place and crumble into jars when completely dry. Most prefer fresh or frozen sage; the taste is quite a bit different than the dried "grocery-store" sage.

Grilled Orange-Sage Pork Chops

2/3 – cup olive oil
1/2 - cup orange juice
2 – teaspoons dried sage
2 – teaspoons grate orange zest
1 – clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 - teaspoon salt
1/4 - teaspoon pepper
4 – pork chops, 1-inch thick

Marinade

In a glass or ceramic baking dish or large re-sealable plastic bag, mix olive oil, orange juice, sage, orange zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.  You want the ingredients well mixed together.

Trim chops of fat.  Add the chops to the marinade and cover or seal.  Place in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.  Turn the chops intermittently.

Prepare your grill to a medium heat and lightly oiled.

Remove chops from marinade and discard marinade.  Place chops on grill. Cover grill and cook the chops for 5 minutes.  Turn over and continue cooking for 5 minutes for a total of 10 minutes.  Cut the center to determine doneness.  You want a slight pink color in the center.