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Wednesday 6 July 2016

About Chives

It is that time of year again when we can pick food from the garden for the table. One of our favourites is chives,  which my friend, Hiltrud, gave me several years ago. The plant survives every winter and has a prominent place in the vegetable patch. We love the flavour of the tender stems as well as the flowers, so nothing of this wonderful plant is wasted.

 

While numerous recipes incorporating chives are available on-line, our favourites involve the simple addition of the herb to dairy products such as butter, cheese and sour cream. The subtle flavour of the chives adds special summer flavour to these dairy products.

 

Chive butter makes a great spread for homemade bread toasted on the barbecue. I add finely chopped chives to softened butter and leave it for a few hours to let the flavour develop.

Chives added to cream cheese or goat cheese make a savoury spread for crisp bread or crackers, especially if you make it ahead of time. 

The puffy flowers, pulled apart, add a subtle onion flavour and colour to salads.

 

Chives and sour cream are delicious on baked potato.

A taste of summer at our house includes chives.

 

18 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

We have a patch moved from Sarnia and first obtained from a neighbour decades ago. Our flowers are done a withered. Our mains use is in potato salad.

Anonymous said...

They are beautiful. If only they smelled better.

ADRIAN said...

I do use chives and enjoy them but wild garlic has to be one of my favourite plants.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I have chives for my own culinary use and one or two plants in the garden for the flowers as a pollinator plant. Unfortunately my clumps are not long lived, probably the heavy clay is too moist but easy enough to start a new plant from seed.

Angela said...

That is awesome!! I have chives in the garden. Someone told me to pull the flowers out for it is better for the plant. I shall never pull the flowers away now since seeing this post!! Thank you for the information. I like it in potato salad as well. Your plant looks very healthy.

Elephant's Child said...

Yummo. I am partial to garlic chives too. And they make a lovely splash of colour when they bloom.

Marie Smith said...

I think we'd like chives in potato salad. Next time...

Marie Smith said...

Such a nice herb though!

Marie Smith said...

I haven't been able to see any good photos of wild garlic. Do you think you could post some good photos?

Marie Smith said...

I have to water mine every day in the summer and the blooms will soon be finished. It's a great herb though.

Marie Smith said...

Angela, I have never pulled the flowers out and the plant has done well. Maybe the conditions where you live are very different from here. Try the flowers in salad though. It's a great way to use them.

Marie Smith said...

They really do add a lovely colour to the garden, and subtle flavour.

DJan said...

I didn't know the flowers are also edible. I learned something new about chives! Thanks for the tip. :-)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Mmmm, chive butter sounds SO good!

Marie Smith said...

They are delicious!

Marie Smith said...

It is really good but on a crusty bread.

Emma Springfield said...

This was an informative as well as pretty post. Chives have so many uses. I use them a lot when preparing meals.

Marie Smith said...

I love the taste too, Emma!