Recipes from your herb garden: Earthy, powerful Sage & Walnut Pestos

WHEN it comes to sage, I think people either love it or hate it. Its powerful, musty scent and flavor is not for middle-of-the-roaders.

We have lots of it growing in our herb garden so we went on the search for some pesto recipes for stuffing mushroom caps that we love to grill and serve alongside meat or fish or just on their own with crusty bread.

Each of these recipes includes parsley to lighten the intensity of the sage and walnuts for added depth. Pesto no. 1 is for purists and unadulterated sage lovers. The addition of parmesan (pestos nos. 2 and 3) adds creaminess and subtlety whereas adding lemon (pesto no. 3) inserts a bit of punchiness. Our favorite is No. 2. Let me know which one is yours…

Sage Pesto No. 1

D.I.Y. Sage Pesto from thekitchn.com
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup roasted walnuts
1 cup fresh sage, loosely packed
1 cup fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation: Mince the garlic and the walnuts in a small food processor. Chop the sage and parsley by hand then add with the salt and pepper to the food processor and blend in short bursts while pouring in the olive oil. Store the pesto in the fridge for up to three days.

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Sage Pesto No. 2

Sage Pesto from food.com
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup packed sage leaf
1/2 cup packed flat leaf parsley
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
walnut pieces
3 cloves crushed garlic (or to taste)
salt
1/2 cup olive oil (or to desired consistency)

Preparation: Wash and throughly dry the sage leaves and parsley in your salad spinner. Put in a food processor with the parmesean, walnuts, garlic, and salt. Process until you have a gritty but even consistency. Gradually add the olive oil until the pesto has reached your desired consistency. Divide the pesto into 3 equal portions. Each portion will coat enough pasta for 4.

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Sage Pesto No. 3

Sage Walnut Pesto from notwithoutsalt.com
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1/4 cup Italian parsley
1/4 cup mint
1 cup sage, packed
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

Preparation: Combine the first six ingredients in a food processor and blend to a rough purée. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the machine running, stream in the olive oil. Add the zest, lemon juice, then taste and add salt to taste. Adjust seasonings to your preference.