Using up herby goodness

I look at the lush herbs on the patio and then peek at the forecast, and don't like the inevitable long-range result. Many will make the trip inside for the winter, but only so many will survive with grace, so it's time to be profligate with them.

Herb cheese spread

From "The Complete Kitchen Garden" by Ellen Ecker Ogden. This is the perfect book to turn to during the growing season when you've got an abundance of garden produce to use, whether from your backyard, the farmers market or CSA. It's also a delightful book to turn to in deep winter, when you're looking for the promise of spring you get from garden planning. It features more than a dozen kitchen garden designs with an array of sizes and produce types, and a plant list and recipes accompany each. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

Method

Combine dill, basil, chives and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until fine. Add cream cheese and process until well blended. Put in a serving container, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve on crackers or crostini. The book suggests a nasturtium garnish.

Rating: Yummy. Super fast. Uses up precious herbs. Can be made well ahead and keeps for an extended time. You can make it fancy by spreading on crostini and giving each a blossom garnish. Works like a cheat code as a sandwich spread for a panini. Really no downside to this stellar recipe.

Georgian cilantro sauce

From "Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook." This is Georgian as in the country thereof.

Ingredients
1½ cups fresh cilantro
½ cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup  fresh dill leaves
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup fresh tarragon leaves
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup walnut oil (or hazelnut, in a pinch)
Dash of cayenne pepper

Method

Combine cilantro, basil, dill, parsley, tarragon, walnuts, lemon juice, apricot preserves, garlic and green onion in a food processor until smooth. With motor running, gradually add oil, processing until thick.
Transfer to a bowl and season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste.

Rating: Very nice. It has a subtle complexity of flavors going on. The recipe suggested serving it on grilled meats or crudites. We spread it on salmon and chicken before baking, used it as a veggie dip and swirled some into a roasted veggie soup. 

This herb butter was made with two-thirds parsley, one-third tarragon and the zest of half a lemon.

Herb butters are one of the easiest and most versatile ways to use up herbs and keep them around longer. Use either one kind of herb alone, or a combo pack there of: tarragon and parsley; thyme, chives, oregano and parsley; sage, parsley and chives (parsley is kind of a generic herbal note that works as a good base). Mix and match as you like.

Herb butter

From "The Herbal Pantry" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. If you're really looking for ways to truly exploit your herbal patch, this book will explore everything from vinegars and cordials to spice mixes, teas, mustards and honeys. I'm still finding new recipes to try in this 1992 book that I've turned to ever since I had a place to have a potager. It's still available used for a reasonable price and well worthwhile.

Ingredients

½ pound butter (I personally prefer salted Hope Creamery butter for this purpose, but I suppose that depends on your butter)
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (or 5 teaspoons dried herbs)

Optional add-ins:
1 teaspoon lemon juice or a zest of half a lemon
Salt (if using unsalted butter), white pepper, or dry mustard, paprika, cumin
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or 1 small garlic clove, minced

Method

Beat butter (this will be slightly easier if you've left it out on the counter for a bit ahead of time) with a mixer until creamy. Stir in herbs and any desired add-ins. 

Form into desired shapes. You can just put it in a serving container such as a ramekin, or you can roll it into logs to slice later. You can also roll it out flat like a cookie dough and chill it slightly and then use a small cookie cutter to cut it into decorative shapes for individual serving. Or roll it into small balls and use a grooved butter paddle to create interesting edges. Or go all in with butter molds or butter stamps. This is one of those things you can really geek out about but luckily, also one of those things you really don't have to.

Refrigerate or wrap well and freeze for long-term storage. Set it out in advance of serving to bring up to spreadable temperature if you're going to need it spreadable form. Otherwise if you're just looking to add a slice or dollop to a grilled cutlet or to finish a sauce, there's no need to soften it first.

Note: You may be tempted to try this entirely in a food processor. I was, since I figured it could chop the herbs first and then add the butter for creaming. But it honestly was more irritating than using a mixer to cream the butter separately and then add the chopped herbs because the blades just spin around below the butter and you have to keep stopping and taking out the chute to try to push down the butter so it can get in reach of the blade, yet again, and again. Creaming butter is, after all, something a stand or handheld mixer excels at.

Rating: Flavored butter rocks even more than good plain butter, and that's saying something. Useful to make a quick topping or sauce for meat, to spread on a warm biscuit or cheese scone, or to enrich a pasta sauce when you're taste-testing it at the end and think it needs a bit of what's-it to push it over the top.