My first harvest of sage yielded enough for a bundle, which I dried by hanging from the dining room chandelier. My first memories of sage were in Ellicott City, Maryland. The old, historic main street had a Native American gift store that sold beautiful bundles of sage for incense. I loved the smell, especially because there's something wild about it.

Later, I took a trip to Greece and Turkey, and noticed that sage was a part of life, a part of so many dishes, probably because it thrives in rocky, sandy soil of the coasts in the warm Mediterranean weather. Sage teas and sage incense became a part of my memories there too.

Burning dried sage bundles releases a powerful and sometimes overwhelming incensed smoke that has powerful cleansing properties according to these and other cultures.

One of my cooking mentors, Natalie, taught me that during a social gathering, you can keep your oven on warm and put dried sage in a terracotta dish to smoke in a more delicate way and lend a warm, welcoming feel to the occasion.

Now I'm just searching for my own perfect terracotta dish for sage. And as I grow it, I can't wait for the day when it's mature enough to dry. Rubbed sage is another great addition to many dishes with earthy, slightly wild flavors. And you can hang dried sage from your rearview mirror.