A Zest For Life

A deeply flavored whipped butter combined with slow-roasted Sungold Cherry Tomatoes. The uses are endless!

Slather on Sourdough Bread.
Summer little golden Sungold Tomatoes are one of the sweetest varieties.
Simply cut them in half and slow-cook in the oven over thyme branches.

Set the oven to a low 275 degrees – this will not heat up the kitchen much in the hot summer we are having!

**Slow cooking the tomatoes – add over thyme branches for extra flavor**

Their flavor can’t be beat – exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange Sungold cherry tomatoes are a Summer treat! They are not fully mature until, at the last minute, they become a beautiful pale apricot-orange color.

This cherry-type hybrid ~ ‘Sungold’ (sometimes spelled Sun Gold) consistently earns a place on lists of the best-tasting Tomatoes. They have a natural high sugar content with a super sweet, juicy flavor.

**The finished tomatoes – ready to blend with the butter**

**Slow cooked Sun Gold Tomatoes get blitzed in a small food processor with the other ingredients: Unsalted Organic Butter, Softened Garlic, Thyme Leaves and Himalayan Sea Salt**

This flavored butter is similar to Compound Butter both require whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter.
Yet Compound butter is formed and rolled in waxed paper or parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced.
In the recipe – I show you, you can do the same with flavored butter.

**Tomato Butter topping just-off-the-grill Scallops**

Uses for Flavored Butters:

Slather on toasted bread.
Add to warm fish just off the grill – will melt into a sauce.
Enhances sautéed chicken; stir in and toss.
Add to just cooked pasta, regular or gluten free – top with a shaving of your favorite cheese.
Add to baked potatoes – or stir into mashed potatoes.
Make a shrimp scampi with it.
Stir into sautéed veggies.
Make garlic bread – toast bread, rub raw garlic over, then tomato butter.
Make compound butter: place the butter in parchment or waxed paper in a cylinder shape, refrigerate; cut and top on warm foods.

Did you know MOST BUTTERS CONTAIN “NATURAL FLAVORINGS” ??

Since the FDA does not regulate the word “natural” – “natural flavorings” seem to the consumer as wholesome… natural.
They are not! I Have written about this a lot. These are chemicals, made in a laboratory, sold to food manufacturers to alter flavor. They are included to boost taste and add a proprietary flavor to the manufacturer’s product.
You might ask why is this so bad?
I do not want to eat chemically altered food. Period. I never eat a product with natural flavors. No manufacturers are transparent about the ‘Natural flavor” ingredients they are made with. Most likely include gmo’s, gluten and msg among countless allergens.

To show you – below is the ingredient list of the most popular butter sold in the U.S. – Land O Lakes. Most of us have never looked at this label!
Every national brand I have checked includes Natural Flavoring!

Recently, the company changed its century-old branding. In February this year they say: **“to better tell its farmer-owned story” and removed their longtime leading lady on its logo.**
The “butter maiden” — a Native American woman with a feather in her hair no longer appears on the packaging – replaced with a body of water. Native Americans do not want to be mascots or logos.

What to do?
Use a high quality butter without natural flavoring. I have chosen Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter (sold at my local Acme supermarket) for this recipe – or source out Organic Butter which is readily available in most supermarkets.
Remember to read labels!!
(Thanks in advance for reading my rant!)

Enjoy this recipe… and your Summer!
Karen

See my CATALOG OF WELL TESTED RECIPES HERE:
https://azestforlife.com/all-recipes/