September 2007-Recipe of the Month-Herb Butters

There are no real rules for cooking with herbs, but they are great for teaching children about different smells, feel, and taste!  Start by experimenting with small amounts of herbs.  Never mix two strong herbs, but rather one strong and one mild.  Our butters use only one herb at a time, so the children can learn about each herb separately. The finer the herb is chopped the more cut surface is exposed, which results in more flavor being released.

A little trivia--Basil-- comes from the Greek word "basileus", which means royal.  It is believed that basil was given the name because it was once used to make kings and queens perfumes.


          

Ingredients Needed:

Softened butter
Assorted fresh herbs ( Rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon or dill weed work well)
Toast points or crackers

Equipment Needed:

Small bowl or measuring cup
Spoon for mixing
Knife for cutting and spreading
Cutting board

Directions:

1.  Wash and dry hands.
2.  Take a washed and dried herb sprig and pull off the leaves.
3.  On a cutting board, cut the leaves into very small pieces.  Cut enough to make 1 teaspoon of chopped herb.
4.  Mix the herb with 3-4 tablespoons of the softened butter in a small bowl.
5.  Let the butter sit for a few minutes or up to an hour, to let the flavor blend with the butter.
6.  Spread the herb butter on toast shapes or crackers and serve.

OPTIONAL:  Instead of butter, you could use softened cream cheese.  If you want more of a dessert herb spread, you can use mint, lemon balm or lavender (use only the lavender buds in the flower and only a few--add more as desired) and mix it with 4 ounces of canned vanilla frosting.  These herb spreads go nicely on graham crackers.
Be prepared, the children will LOVE trying new herbs and will be asking to do this activity again and again!