Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Versatile to the max.

As the week comes to an end, and the fridge is getting ready for a new fill, I discovered a full pack of unused fresh basil awaiting it's culinary purpose. Now with a slight brown hue, but still brimming with that fresh basil aroma that just screams, well, fresh, I hit the books and did a little research in order to avoid having to toss it. This turned into one of this "a-ha!" moments we love so much. Basil Butter! How versatile! Spread it on sliced baguette and give a twist to garlic bread, bake some potatoes and serve with a spoonful, slather it on corn on the cob, use it on grilled meat of any kind, or add interest to basic steamed veg. I am sure there are many, many more ways to use this Basil Butter.


Start with 1 cup of room temperature butter. Give a bunch of basil (about 15 leaves) and 4 cloves of garlic a super fine chop. If you have a food processor, just throw them in there and wizz away. Now stir the basil, garlic along side 1/2 tsp of black pepper and 1/2 - 1 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter only) into the butter. And you're done! Don't be intimidated by whipping up an entire cup of butter - just freeze it in small portions and have it ready at a moments notice.



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