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by Heather | August 31, 2012

Basil Butter

So I mentioned it a little bit last week, but I thought I’d take just a minute to talk about how much I really like to smash things into butter. Blueberries, strawberries, GARLIC!, and this week basil.

I have the fondest little girl memories of my dad and I sharing a big basket of hot popovers with freshly whipped strawberry butter. When I was big enough to want to recreate that happy memory in my own kitchen, I figured out that strawberry butter isn’t that complicated (popovers are quite another story). If you haven’t ever had pumpkin butter, you are missing out on one of the greatest things life has to offer, and I’m not even exaggerating about that. Apple butter? Almost as good (not that thick weird apple butter that’s canned like jam and resembles nothing of apples or butter. Sorry. I can’t get down with that stuff.). This week basil butter has made its way into my fridge, and my life, and I’m loving every buttery good bit.

I have these basil plants that are seriously the size of small trees. I have an over-abundance of basil. It’s really out of control. Add to the gigantor basil crop this problem I have where I can’t let anything go to waste; no leftover goes uneaten, no fresh garden herbs are left untouched. I’ve made more pesto (recipe for that coming up this week, just in case basil is taking over your life, too) and margherita pizzas than I really care to discuss right now. Let’s not forget the bruschetta. But still there was MORE BASIL.

So I smooshed (technical kitchen term) the basil into butter.

If you aren’t sure exactly how to fit basil butter into your life, I have a couple of really amazing ideas. Why don’t you…

spread it on warm crusty baguette. try not to eat the whole loaf.
slice the baguette horizontally like a giant sandwich, smear it with basil butter, and make a “french bread” pizza out of it. because vegetables may be included with this version, it’s important to just go ahead and eat the whole loaf.
drop some basil butter into a pot of hot cooked and drained pasta, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and call that dinner.
saute chicken in it
saute vegetables in it
use it to make some really fancy macaroni and cheese. use something sort of special like gouda.
I could keep going here, but you get the idea.
Oh! One more. I made this recipe from How Sweet It Is. Roasted Basil Butter Parmesan Shrimp. Gahhhhhhh.

How much do you want basil butter in your life right now?

If you’re anything like me, that photo made you want it A LOT. So here’s the really great part: you only need two ingredients.

Basil Butter

Ingredients

butter at room temperature

basil, very finely chopped

**kosher salt is optional**

To Make

Use half as many tablespoons of basil as you have of butter. So if you’re using a whole stick of butter (8 tablespoons), then you’ll need about 4 tablespoons of basil. If you are using salted butter, don’t add any additional salt. It’s too much. But if you’re using unsalted butter, sprinkle in kosher salt about 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you feel like it’s right.

You could use a food processor to pull all this together, but I just use my hands.

In a medium bowl smoosh the butter together with the basil until the basil is evenly distributed throughout. If you’re adding salt, smoosh it into the butter in the same way. Shape it into a log, or a circle, or get craaaaayzay and press it into those little molds that are cool shapes. Suuuper idea for a fancy schmancy dinner party. If you’re shaping the butter into a log (as seen pictured above) wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

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Filed under Breads, Breakfast

Tagged as basil, cooking, food, recipes, seafood, seasonal, Simple

by Heather | August 7, 2012

Seasonal Sensations

Since I returned from La-La-Vacationland a little over a week ago I’ve spent most of my time indulging in a few of my favorite summer flavors before they are gone, gone, gone until next year. I’m eating peaches everyday. Three times a day. I’m putting blueberries in all the baked goods. BLT’s have become a staple. Tomatoes and basil have made their way into every evening meal.

These fresh flavors are so far the only high points to be found in these few weeks between beach vacation and back-to-school. We are stuck in the North Carolina August summer limbo; the afternoon storms have all but ceased, the sticky heat seems relentlessly hotter. Backpacks, notepads, and No.2 pencils are just around the bend, but the weeks ahead have thus far dulled the excitement of a new year and old friends.

I miss jacket weather. I miss my hair straightener. And scarves.

At the same time I miss salt water on my skin and sand between my toes.

It’s a confusing time.

One thing that is never ever confusing though? BRUSCHETTA.

Tomato bruschetta is the very first thing that came to mind when my neighbor gifted me a 5-gallon bucket full of fresh garden tomatoes. It didn’t hurt that I needed an excuse to use up some of the basil from my basil ~~bush~~ plant that is all but shading the green beans at the back of my garden. Amazon basil. Forreal.

So instead of dwelling on the fact that my tank tops are feeling tired and my hair is feeling frizzy (not the good beach kind of frizzy but the why-have-those-curls-escaped-my-elastic-and-proceeded-to-stick-straight-out-just-above-my-ears kind of frizzy… NOT CUTE), or wondering how early is too early to start decorating for Halloween, I have busied myself with dicing absurd amounts of tomatoes. And chopping basil by the pound.

This is also a very good excuse to smear butter on bread.

Sometimes tomato bruschetta doesn’t have cheese. In my opinion that is wasting a perfect cheese opportunity.

The cheese works sort of like glue, holding the roasty garlicky tomatoes and basil to the buttery bread just long enough for you to take a big ‘ol bite… sans fork.

This big pile of tomato bruschetta and a few slices of balsalmic marinated grilled chicken was called dinner. Truth be told, I would have gotten along just fine without the chicken.

Except the next morning I had leftover bruschetta topped with a perfectly medium poached egg.

And then I remembered why I’m glad it’s still summer.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

3-4 large fresh tomatoes, diced (approximately 4 -5 cups)

4 cloves garlic, very finely minced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

BASIL, chopped (fresh basil added to taste… I like a ridiculous amount of basil, so when it looks like I have enough, I add more)

2-3 tablespoons finely minced onions

1 loaf baguette or other crusty bread, sliced on a bias to create more surface area for the topping

2-3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

kosher salt to taste

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

To Make

Pre-heat the oven to 450. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it’s a nice toasty golden brown color. Remove from the heat and set aside. Place your tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add the garlic and oil, the basil, and the onion. Toss everything together until it’s evenly coated and set aside. On a rimmed baking sheet line up the sliced baguette. Butter each piece. Spoon the tomato mixture onto each buttered slice. I like big heaps of tomatoes. Sprinkle with a dab of kosher salt and then spread the cheese evenly across the tops of each slice. Bake for only 5 or 6 minutes; the edges of the bread will begin to brown and the cheese will get all toasty and golden.