Picking sage on a sunny afternoon is a simple pleasure—running your fingers through its soft, fragrant leaves, filling your basket with fresh green sprigs. It’s even better with friends or family, laughing as you compare who’s gathered the most or whose bunch smells the strongest. The earthy aroma lingers on your hands, a reminder of the fun you’ve had.
Back home, sage adds warmth to dishes and drinks. Try it in brown butter pasta: melt butter until golden, toss in chopped sage, then drizzle over al dente noodles with Parmesan. Or roast squash with sage: cube butternut squash, toss with olive oil, fresh sage, and a pinch of salt, then bake until caramelized. For something soothing, steep sage tea—pour hot water over a few leaves, let it infuse for 5 minutes, then sip with honey.
Feeling fancy? Muddle sage into a gin cocktail: combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a sage leaf, shake with ice, and strain into a glass.
If you’ve picked extra, tie sage into small bundles and hang them to dry—they’ll keep their scent for months, perfect for stuffing into drawers or gifting in little cloth sachets.