A while back smoked sausage was on sale for a ridiculously good price, so I bought a bunch of it. And now it sits in my freezer, mocking me every time I open it to see what I'm making for dinner, knowing I can't make it as often as I'd like because it bothers my mother to eat.
But one of the cool things about it being on sale is I got to try a couple of new varieties that I've been intrigued by for a while, including the 4 Pepper I used in this recipe. It's actually pretty darn hot, which was a pleasant surprise for me.
Fresh local green beans are in season, so I keep buying them every time I'm at the store or the farmer's market or the farm stand, or someone brings extras to work... We are eating green bean everything lately, and finding something else to do with it has become something of a challenge.
A few days ago I was sitting on my back porch, surrounded by my (mostly) herb garden, and it hit me. Herb butter! Why on earth have I not been making herb butter? And furthermore, why have I not been cooking green beans in it?
Thus a recipe was born. That's how it happens around here.
