Sage

I've been growing sage ever since I've had a garden. It's one of my favorite culinary herbs. When I first met Karen, one of the first meals I cooked for her was pasta with carrots and scallions in a butter and sage sauce. In the spring of 2009 I decided to plant 50(!) sage plants in my new herb garden. I must have picked a good spot for the sage because they overwintered and all came back stronger than ever this year!

With this abundance of sage, I had to decide what to do with it. I couldn't possibly use it all. In the past I've burned sage leaves as a kind of incense but this year I decided to try my hand at making a smudge. Smudges are made from all kinds of dried herbs and are have been used in Native American ceremonies for hundreds of years. I found my smudges burned very nicely and next year I'm looking forward to trying to make smudges from different kinds of herbs like lavender.

One note of caution. If you use a smudge, make sure you burn it in a ceramic or other non flammable dish. Just like incense or a candle, do not leave your smudge unattended. Finally, tell your family what you are burning and show them the smudge before you burn the sage the first time. Trust me, most people think it smells like pot and will ask you what you are doing!