It's hard to improve on sweet summer tomatoes, but it's not impossible. Pack as many juicy tomatoes as possible into a simple compound butter and you have a versatile ingredient that you'll be able to hold onto long past these balmy months and into fall.
If there's one thing you and I can both make before pumpkin spice takes over everything, it's tomato butter. There are countless ways to preserve the taste of sweet summer tomatoes, but this compound butter is arguably the easiest. It takes just 10 minutes: Broil a bunch of cherry tomatoes for a few minutes so that they start to release their juices (you don't even need to halve them), then blend them in a food processor with softened butter. If you have some thyme, oregano, or rosemary on hand, throw a little to the food processor as well.
The result is a vibrant orange butter that can be frozen for up to three months — although I highly recommended tucking some in your refrigerator to use right now.
cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
(8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Arrange an oven rack about 3 to 4 inches from the broiler element and heat the oven to broil. Place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until the skins begin to brown and the tomatoes start releasing their juice, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature.
Combine the broiled tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 10 times, until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and add it to the food processor. Process until the butter is completely mixed in with the tomato mixture, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed for even blending.
The tomato butter can be used immediately or placed in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up first.
Storage: Store leftover butter in the refrigerator in a covered dish or ramekin, or spooned onto plastic wrap or parchment paper and rolled into a log. When kept in the fridge, the butter is best when eaten within 1 week; it can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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