Sage is a delicious herb that is a fantastic pairing with chicken, pork, and vegetables. This pesto makes a great spread for bread or a topping for steak.
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cups fresh sage, firmly packed
- ½ cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Directions
- Place the sage and olive oil in a blender and turn on at "blend" for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour the melted butter into the blender and continue to blend until the sage is chopped and blended through the oil and butter.
- Add the Gorgonzola cheese and blend thoroughly.
- Add the garlic, pine nuts, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour into a bowl and allow to rest for at least one hour.
- Serve at room temperature.
Note: Italians use the aromatic spice sage more than any other country. The Latin name for sage is salvia which means "saved" or "health." This speaks to the medicinal use of the sage plant, including brewing it as a tea. It is used as a tea when people have colds. Some say that cold sage tea can be used to help stop night sweats during the menopausal years.
Some traditional uses of sage are to wet a cloth with sage tea and use it as a compress for the forehead to relieve tension headaches. The fragrance acts as a soothing aroma therapy and clears sinuses. Research is showing promising uses of sage for diabetics. It has been found to boost insulin activity in patients with Type II diabetes. While sage tea is not a replacement for proper diet and medication it may provide an additional health benefit.
