Radish & Chive Butter

Radish slices and Chive Butter

Spring CSA deliveries are often full of sharp, peppery and green flavors.  And this year is no exception.  How to enjoy these strong flavors?

Smooth out the bright green oniony flavor with butter - and a bit of salt and vinegar to create a fuller flavor.  Think I'm crazy?  Well, the french have a tradition of butter and salt with their radishes.  And who doesn't love garlic butter?

Radishes & Chive Butter

Ingredients:

radishes

chives & butter 

(approx 1:1 ratio) 

cider vinegar - splash

salt - to taste

Equipment:

knife

cutting board

food processor or fork

Prep:

Scrub the radishes clean, and rinse the chives.

Set up the food processor - or chop the chives very fine.

  

Cook!

Combine the chives and butter until you have very green butter.  Add a pinch of salt and a splash of vinegar.  Taste for a slightly tart flavor, and just enough salt to make the flavors in the butter a little more savory - not necessarily salty.

Slice the radishes.  In half or quarters if small - or into slices if they are large slices like we got.

Eat 'em up.

1st Bonus of my Future Garden

As I was getting the rest of the dirt for my new garden (how CITY is that? I s'pose if I had lots of land a compost pile or 2 then I could make my own - GO Cindy and 2 Percherons!)... anyway. I'm going to grow Nasturtiums since they are so fast and hardy I grew them successfully at 8500 ft in Colorado (only to have them eaten like jelly-beans by deer).

I mentioned this to a gardener at Sky Nursery and she passed this on to me... so I share. And this way, I can come look it up when I have the flowers.

Nasturtium Butter

(or how to look AMAZING at a buffet with just a Baguette, Salami & Butter)

1 stick unsalted butter - room temp or softened

5-8 Nasturtium flowers chiffonade

Parsley

Thyme

both chiffonade and chopped tiny

salt and lemon juice to taste

stir and whip all above together until well mixed

Roll into a cylinder in parchment paper or similar - refrigerate

Slice into thin rounds, spread on small slices of baguette, or simply place, and let them wilt in the heat.

The butter will look lovely, and yet be so tasty, it must be eaten. A thin slice of salami is a wonderful pair.