COMMON NAME: Garden sage. Word sage comes from Latin word salvere, which means to be saved, referring to its curative aspirin-like uses in the Middle Ages.

SPECIES: S. officinalis, member of Salvia family.

DESCRIPTION: Hardy perennial, woody at base, with fragrant gray-green or colored foliage that is evergreen in mild winters. About 900 species native worldwide, many ornamental and aromatic.

FOLIAGE: Leaves oblong, 2-3 inches long with nubby texture,

FLOWERS: Blue-purple on 2-foot spikes, showy for weeks in early summer.

HOW TO GROW: Full sun, average well-drained soil. Put plant outdoors after frost danger is past. Pinch tips to encourage bushy growth. Makes good container or houseplant in sun.

PROPAGATION: Tip cuttings root easily in water.

VARIETIES: Many. Pineapple sage reaches 4 feet in one season, oval leaves rich green with strong pineapple flavor. Purple sage has fragrant dark purple leaves. Golden sage has variegated foliage. Russian sage has late-summer whorls of lavender flowers; the foliage has a spicy aroma that's good for potpourri but not for cooking.

USES: Flavor poultry dressings, breakfast sausages and cheeses. Dried leaves used for potpourri.

MEDICINAL BENEFITS: Fresh or dried leaves make hot tea that is said to soothe an upset stomach, gastritis and sore throats. Also aids digestion of fat or rich foods.

Sources: Taylor's Guide to Herbs, ``Southern Herb Growing''

SAGE TURKEY STUFFING

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts bread cubes, about 1 long loaf bread; wheat bread does nicely
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon each: dried parsley and sage
• 1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper

Mix all and stuff into 8-11 pound turkey. Bake turkey according to your own recipe or directions that come with the bird. If you grill the turkey outside, place stuffing in a casserole dish and bake in oven until golden brown. Stuff turkey with apples and onions before grilling it.

Family recipe courtesy Billi Parus of Virginia Beach and Tidewater Unit, Herb Society of America

SAGE CIDER JELLY

Make jelly infusion by pouring 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 cup fresh or 4 tablespoons dried sage leaves. Let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain and use 1/2 cup of this sage infusion.

Combine the 1/2 cup of sage infusion with these ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Bring this to a boil and add 2 drops green food coloring and 4 drops yellow food coloring. When this reaches a hard, rolling boil, add 1 packet of liquid pectin (Certo). Then bring back to a hard boil and boil for 1 minute. Skim off foam and pour into sterilizing jars. Cap.