Simply Herb Butter

We are rolling through the four sauces, in our book~cook club for The Art of Simple Food! This morning I pulled out some butter, to soften, for making herb butter.

Let's talk about the weather, shall we?

It's oh-so much cooler, by ten degrees, which makes me very happy about cooking and eating. I was sort of stalling on this particular recipe, because it sounds so rich and savory, something for a real fall meal. Okay. Thank you. Weather talk is over.

Since Alice Waters encourages us to eat locally, fresh, organic, sustainable... sensibly, I was particularly inspired when it came time to replant our garden beds. Besides looking for cool season crops, I added more herbs, in anticipation of the four sauces Alice Waters calls essential.

I planted chives, and flat leaf parsley, and French Tarragon. I've never planted Tarragon. Took a nibble this morning. Guess what... tastes a bit like black licorice. Not a fan. Pretty little herb, though. We also have chiles, still going strong, and we put in lots of basil, and some lettuce varieties.

I digress. First weather, now the garden... or is this really a digression? Food and weather, and gardens they are totally connected. I am actually totally on topic! Excellent.

Hello, Parsley. You don't taste like black licorice, do you?

One more herb. This one dried, and stored in the barn. Maria will be so thrilled to see that the flowers and herbs we collected and prepared for later use, are already coming in handy. She and I spent several happy summer afternoons, collecting the tiny thyme leaves, and I think they will add a nice note to the herb butter recipe.

Have you picked up the book? So far, I think The Art of Simple Food is a worthwhile addition to my kitchen shelf. I mean, even I was able to simply and artfully make real mayonnaise, right from the start. It feels like a field guide. We cook. We know what we like, but Alice Waters is showing us new places, sharing helpful suggestions, inspiring fresh points to view. So, cooking with her cook book feels like touring familiar places, but with a fresh perspective, and being in the cook~book club brings in the companionship and fun of sharing.

Using kitchen sheers, I snipped the chives, and parsley. Crumbled in the dry thyme. I minced a garlic clove. I squeezed lemon juice, and sprinkled salt, black pepper, and a smidge of chili powder. And let's face it... we're talking about butter! How could anything possibly go remotely wrong? Everything was mixed together, and I believe I was humming, contentedly. I know I was thinking about the steaks we are grilling this weekend, when my cousin Rebekah comes to visit... cuz, are you catching this? We shall feast, royally well!

Yes. I mean, seriously. Yes. I ate this. And it was good. And then I was good, and rolled the herb butter into a log, and wrapped it up in waxed paper, then popped it into the freezer. Herb butter weekend. Nice.

Favorite: Remembering the time Maria and I spent together, last summer, collecting thyme and saving it for later.

Regrets: Tomorrow isn't Friday. Honestly, I have no regrets. I just can't wait to share the herb butter with the family.

Discovered: Tarragon and me, we may never become friends. But. I am willing to keep an open mind.

Conclusion: Oh, for goodness sake. What's not to like? It's butter! But the herbs make it something sophisticated, they lend it complexity. The lemon juice adds a fresh zestiness, light, cheery. I was worried about having too strong of an aftertaste, the way some flavors linger too long, but I don't detect anything like that... the only thing lingering is my desire to enjoy some herbed butter on a baked potato!