Compounding Flavors

Sun Dried Tomato Butter w/ Herbs
1/2 cup butter (1/4 pound), at room temperature
1 tablespoon minced sun dried tomatoes, (not the type packed in oil)
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place butter in a small bowl. Add tomatoes and herbs, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a serving dish and chill overnight (or at least several hours). Serve with bread or toast; with steamed squash or baked potatoes; as a finish to grilled poultry or steaks. This will keep, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for a few weeks--as long as you began with fresh butter.

Hints: The tomato and herbs need to be minced very finely. Do not pack them down to measure, they should be lightly piled in the measuring spoon. If you cannot find "dry" packaged tomatoes, be sure and wipe off the "bottled in oil" kind as best as you can. I use regular salted butter and if you have unsalted butter, you will need to double the kosher salt to 1/2 teaspoon. You can substitute any herb for the sage and/or rosemary--however, when I use basil or parsley they tend to have more moisture so I prefer them in their dried forms; in this case I will reduce the amount of dried herbs by not quite half.

Spiced Honey Butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and serve. This butter is fabulous on a baked sweet potato or baked squash. Great on Pumpkin Hazelnut Bread toast or scones. Cover tightly and refrigerate to store.

Try 1 1/2 tablespoons Pomegranate Sauce mixed with 1/2 cup butter for Pomegranate Butter. Also good on the Pumpkin Bread and on Scones or rolls or toast of any kind.

I love the added flavor dimension you get with a compound butter. It makes a fairly simple and plain dish into something extra-ordinary. Putting forth a small extra effort pays off in the end and allows you to carry through a flavor theme in a special meal.