Herbed black pepper compound butter

I haven't made a compound butter in a while, but a friend brought me a gigantic bunch of fresh oregano.

Compound butter is simply a combination of herbs and butter. It's delicious on bread, fish, corn, even tossed into pasta. Compound butter freezes beautifully and makes a nice dinner party gift. Make a big log and keep it in the freezer, when you need some simply slice what you need, and if you're gifting some, wrap a nice log in parchment paper, then wrap it in some pretty tissue and a ribbon.

Here's my recipe for herbed black-pepper compound butter.

3 tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. kosher salt
2 Tbs. cracked black pepper
1/4 C. basil leaves (or 3 cubes frozen basil)
1/4 C. oregano leaves
1/4 C. Italian parsley leaves
1/4 C. chives
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into smallish cubes

Combine olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs into a Cuisinart. Process until smooth. While the Cuisinart is running, add in cubes of butter until thoroughly processed and smooth.

Lay a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and add compound butter to the center. Form a long log (like cookie dough) and enclose in remaining parchment paper. Next cover with Saran Wrap and freeze.

This is a great way to use fresh herbs during the summer and makes a unique gift from your kitchen.