Garlic-Chive Butter

My mom used to make herbed butters when I was younger--her tarragon butter was always a favorite. Herbed butters are a great way to elevate the flavor and boost presentation, without adding a lot of work, cost, etc. It's just a lovely extra touch that shows you care and you want people to enjoy their food and their time with you.

I suppose this doesn't really count as 'cooking,' but it is a masterful recipe. So simple, so delicious, and soooo...oh wait, did I already say delicious?

ABF made this garlic-chive butter ages ago, and it is one of my all-time favorites. I always left it up to him to make it though, but this weekend he had me peeling garlic, cutting chives (from a fresh plant I bought at the Union Square Farmer's Market), and putting out the butter. I thought I was just setting the stage, getting all mise-en-place up in his grill, but he informed me, "Nope, you're going to make it today!"

I actually got a little nervous. His butter is phenomenal. It's packed with so much garlic that you might just think oh no, it's too much. But it's NOT.

For this round I peeled 2 large cloves of garlic (they were starting to sprout in the middle so I just cut out the bitter green parts), snipped a few tablespoons of fresh chives, and put the butter in the microwave for 7 seconds because I didn't want to wait for it to thaw.

I mashed it all up for a minute or two and that was it--easy peasy.

While I did that, ABF made his famous eggs, this time with smoked gouda and more fresh chives. We also toasted some high-fiber, multi-grain English Muffins and YUM.

ABF took a taste of the garlic butter, gave his seal of approval, and breakfast was ready! And oh my, it was wonderful.

We took the leftover butter, put it on some parchment paper, and placed it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up again. I then molded it into a log and put it in the freezer. I was planning to take it home with me, but then I forgot it...as if I needed another reason to go visit ABF. :)