Chives: The easy, enjoyable herb!
By Brenda Hyde, Editor
Chives are one of the easiest and most enjoyable herbs you can
grow.They are the first to pop up in the spring, and are often ready
to harvest before we have gotten our last frost!
The flowers are wonderful little globes of purple that are spicy and
can be used in salads. The plant is a perennial and returns each
year. It grows in full sun, but can handle a small amount of shade.
You can grow it from seeds, which are very tiny and do take
awhile to germinate and grow. The best thing to do is buy one
or two plants at a garden center (not the grocery store), and
plant them in a sunny spot with good soil. I have found chives
do not need fertilizer, mulch or extra water. They are self
sufficient little plants that only need to be watered during dry
periods.
Chives in Cooking
Chives are best used fresh. They can be frozen in small plastic
bags and used right out of the freezer also. Before I started
gardening with herbs I only thought of chives for topping
baked potatoes, but they are good for so much more! You
can add them to scrambled eggs or any egg dish, dips,
sauces,breads, biscuits and off course any potato dishes.
The following recipes are easy and versatile. You can
substitute margarine for the butter if you need to. Remember,
these toppings are savory, so you don't need much! The
great thing about them is they accent
your healthy vegetable and fish dishes and make the
simplest meal elegant.
Herb Sauce
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
Melt butter, add other ingredients and
simmer for 3-5 minutes. Pour over
cooked vegetables. Makes 1/2 cup sauce.
Herb Butter
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons chives
1 clove minced or crushed garlic
Mince herbs and mix all with room temperature
butter by hand or mixer. Chill for at least 3
hours before serving. Wonderful with vegetables,
eggs, fish or bread. Makes 1 cup butter.
Spicy Sour Cream
ingredients:
1 cup sour cream, light, no fat or regular
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon chopped sage
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
Mix together all ingredients. Herbs may be
varied but must be fresh for this recipe. Makes
1 cup.
Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
Add remaining items, beat well. Place into a
covered container. Serve with crackers or bagels.
Makes 2 1/4 cups spread, or 36 servings of one
tablespoon each.
Scrub and rinse potatoes. Cut potatoes into thin slices but not all
the way through. Put potatoes in a baking dish. Fan them slightly.
Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with herbs. Bake
potatoes for 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with cheeses and bake for another 10 minutes until lightly
browned, cheeses are melted and potatoes are tender.
Check with a fork. Makes 4 servings.
