Sweet + Savory Butter Boards
A close cousin to the charcuterie board, the butter board is a new trend that’s taken appetizers to a more refined level by prominently displaying fresh ingredients over a bed of smooth butter. My favorite board butter is Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter for its creamy texture, bold flavor, and rich gold color. It pays to splurge on a high-quality base for your boards. Also, don’t limit yourself to butter as a base. Try spreading hummus, garlic paste or dip, goat cheese, or fruit dip on your board. Theme the flavor profile of your boards with sweet, spicy, savory, or a blend of these using your favorite combinations of herbs, spices, vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts. Below, I’ve created mini boards containing my four favorite ingredient combinations. This herbal recipe, and many more, can be found in my book, Seasonal Living with Herbs, available at all major book retailers.
Ingredients
butter, softened to room temperature (or other base spread)
spicy honey (preferably locally sourced)
sea salt flakes
herbs of choice
other spices, vegetables, fruits, seeds and/or nuts of choice
To Create
- Spread the softened butter evenly onto a clean, food-safe, cutting or charcuterie board.
- Drizzle honey over the butter, followed by a light sprinkle of sea salt.
- Evenly sprinkle the fresh herbs and other ingredients over the butter, or, get creative and use your fresh herbs to create a pretty “scene.”
- Serve with toasted bread, naan, biscuits, or crackers, and a few small butter spreaders to discourage double dipping.
Sweet + Savory Ingredient Suggestions
Sweet ingredients: pomegranate seeds, honey, sliced fig, fig jam, sliced strawberry, sliced cooked pear or peach, sliced apple, dark or light raisons, dried cranberry or other dried fruit, brown sugar, lavender buds
Savory ingredients: arugula seedlings, microgreens, chive, viola heads, lilac blossoms, marigold petals, sage leaves, thyme, rosemary blossoms thyme, shaved onion or fennel, fennel leaves, parsley, zinnia petals, nasturtium petals, basil, dill, pumpkin seeds, nuts (cashew, pine, pistachio, etc.,) roasted garlic cloves, freshly shaved parmesan
Ingredients to add kick: crushed red pepper flakes, spicy honey, pepper jelly, mint leaves
Ingredients to add zest: lemon balm, bee balm, mandarin orange slices, lemon zest, olives, capers, sliced grapefruit
Pictured Top: butter, lavender honey drizzle, sea salt, shaved fennel, fennel leaves, viola; Right: garlic hummus, chives, pine nuts, marigold petals; Bottom: butter, sea salt, spicy honey, sage petals, lemon thyme, lavender buds, viola; Left: hummus, sea salt, parsley, pomegranate seeds, viola
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