1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup sweet butter, softened
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest, or to ta, ste
Directions
In a saucepan of boiling water blanch the basil for 2 seconds. Drain
the basil well, pat it dry, and in a food processor blend it with the
butter, the zest, and sat to taste until the mixture is smooth. Let
the basil butter stand, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a cool
place for 1 hour or, chilled, overnight. Serve the lemon basil butter
with steamed vegetables or grilled meats and fish. Makes about 2/3
cup.
Servings: 1 servings
Lemon Basil Butter Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Fruit
The History of Recipes
Experts have tracked the existance of recipes way back into antiquity, in fact as far as ancient Egypt, and possibly even further. Interesting though that maybe, these, old cookbooks were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to academics is a series of ancient tablets in Sumerian describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel exhilarated and blissful. During Roman times around 25BC a roman called Apicius assembled a few documents which described recipes cooked by his fellow Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main course and afters, something we still use today. Aspicius informs us how the Roman chefs used many herbs and spices, including some familiar names such as thyme, fennel and asafoetida. In the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many new foods, spices and herbs from Arab cooking, such as basil and coriander. The introduction of these new culinary ideas prompted an increase in manuscripts on cookery, many of which are now in private collections. During the succeeding few hundred years, the upper-class families of Wesstern Europe tried to offer the best banquets, and as a consequence, cooks and their recipe collections were at a premium. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that cooking and recipe collections rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collating, verifying, and writing down popular recipes of the day. By the arrival of the 20th century, cookery publications were starting to become popular due to more people being able to read, people having more free time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Lemon Basil Butter recipe.
