Spring is here and my herb garden is coming back to life.  With this extra sunshine we’ve been having, they’ve perked up and grew a little taller and fuller.  Here I have put together a little sampling of herbs displayed on a cake stand and wrapped a few in parchment paper attached with custom tags {found here} using double sided tape.   It’s always wonderful to share with others what you grow in the garden.

{Free Printable Garden Tags, click here}

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Fresh herbs in cooking is by far the best choice {see Compound Butter recipe below}.  My four favorite herb plants I use again and again from my garden are Italian parsley, basil, lavender and mint {not shown in the picture}.  Another reason for growing herbs is for decorating.  Instead of fresh flowers, add a pretty green bouquet of parsley next to the kitchen sink, mint in the bathroom or silver sage displayed in simple containers down the center of the table.  Herbs are hardy plants and easy to care for.  Give it a try if you have never grown them.

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Herb Lemon Compound Butter 

Ingredients

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
salt and  freshly ground black pepper

Directions

 Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl.  Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.    Scoop it all onto the plastic wrap or divide the mixture in half {about 4 Tablespoons each}.  Roll the plastic wrap around it to form a cylinder then twist the ends closed.   Then wrap it in parchment paper, twist the two ends and tie the ends with twine.  Refrigerate until the butter is firm {about 2 hours} or put in the freezer to be used at a later date.

* Butter mixed with other ingredients {herb & spices, vanilla, honey, nuts, garlic, olives, sundried tomatoes, etc…} is known as compound butter.  It adds flavor to seafood, meat, bread and vegetables.

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posted by: Kay                   9