Basil Butter with Garlic

Drizzled on green and yellow wax beans, tossed with boiled new potatoes or slathered on corn-on-the-cob, this flavored butter is a quick way to dress up your veggies.

Basil Butter with Garlic

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 ounce (about 1 cup lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
6 to 8 cloves garlic, the fresher, the better

In a food processor: With the food processor running, drop the peeled garlic cloves in and let run until they are very finely minced. Add the basil leaves and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the softened butter and pulse until well-mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

By hand: Finely chop the basil leaves using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Put the garlic through a press or mince finely by hand. Stir both into the softened butter until well-combined.

Makes a bit more than 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator up to one week. For longer storage, drop by tablespoonsful onto a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Pack in freezer bags and store in freezer to use as needed.