Horseradish Thyme Compote and Cheesy Bread

For Father's Day, we're having a fabulous man-pleasing menu of grilled steak, cheesy bread, pasta with pesto, and berry tarts. Well, the girls are going to love all this food, too. (Scroll down for any recipes you might have missed plus a complete menu and shopping list.) Today we're making a compote-a creamy butter and herb mixture- that will do double duty for this dinner. It's primary purpose is to make a melting flavorful peppery puddle on top of a grilled rib eye. (Coming Friday) But we're also going to smear it on a parmesan coated baguette and get it heavenly-toasty. Oh, I can't resist this stuff! Just a dab of the compote will provide marvelous creamy flavor, so let's get started!
Horseradish Thyme Compote
Estimated Cost $1.50
Notes: The thyme flowers are edible also. Store any extra compote in the fridge or freezer.
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 generous tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. On a sheet of waxed paper, form mixture into a cylinder, wrap tightly and chill until serving time.

Horseradish Thyme Cheesy Bread
Estimated Cost: $2:50
Notes: I'm dangerous with this stuff. You're going to love it...
1/2 baguette, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Horseradish Thyme Compote
2 ounces shaved parmesan
Preheat broiler. Spread bread thinly with compote. (If compote is too cold to spread, just drop a little piece into center of bread.) Sprinkle with cheese. Add a little piece of compote on top of the cheese. Broil on cookie until crispy and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Coming Tomorrow:
A Father's Day Side Dish
Ina Garten's Pasta, Pesto and Peas