I always feel kind of bad when I see people buy chive at the garden center. I have to stop myself from offering a clump or two of my own to get some started. Starting is all you have to do with this onion-family member–plant it anywhere and it will not only return every year, it will expand its girth to manymany times, so divide it about every 3-4 years. It’s among the first green to jump up in the spring and flowers earlier than any edible in my garden. I grow two kinds: a common and garlic. The purple flowers of the common are such a welcome sight at the end of winter. The garlic waits to show its white lacy blooms until mid-late summer and really is garlicky-good.
I’m growing them in containers this year, placed at the edge of the green beans and onions…
Both the green foliage and the flowers are tasty. I harvest the flowers and put them in white vinegar, steep the concoction for a couple of weeks and then use it for vinaigrette. Cut back as much as you want, the stems will grow back happily.
Here’s an easy recipe…
Chive Dip a la Sonnystone
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cream cheese
2/3 cup chopped chive
1 tbs. lemon juice
salt & pepper
Mix it all up, put it in the fridge for a while and dip it out with carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, etc. etc.
mmm, yummy…
