CHIVES  The tiniest of the onion family

You wouldn't think it to look at it but chives are a member of the onion family and they do have a teeny tiny bulb on them. They are so small though that a clump of chives looks like a clump of grass.

I planted some chives in my backyard about 8 years ago. It borders on the lawn area and indeed when we mow that area the chives usually get a hair cut too. If you are going to do this, don't cut it too low or it won't come back for you.

When the first settlers came to this country they brought along chives as part of their indispensable culinary herbs. And that is mostly what chives are used for - in the kitchen to perk up many recipes. They have a very mild onion flavor.

Use chives anywhere you want to add a little zip to the sauce or to the eggs or to the veggies or stews. The flowers of chives can be used in salads. I use chives - both the green and the flowers in herbal vinegars. They look very nice this way and impart a delicate oniony flavor to the  vinegar.

Pot up some chives in the early fall and let them sit outside for a few months. In late fall when they have had a chance to freeze, you can bring them in and put the pot on a windowsill. Your chives will spout in a couple of weeks and you will have chives all winter that you can snip away at for winter meals.

You can freeze chives if you do it right. I freeze it by snipping amounts that I would use in a dish, for example a stew and then I put the cuttings into baggies and toss into the freezer. These must be used straight from the freezer. I generally though prefer the fresh chives on the windowsill.

Here is something we enjoy at anytime incorporating chives.

You will need a loaf of garlic bread. You can make this yourself by cutting a loaf of French bread length wise, buttering it generously and sprinkling plenty of powdered garlic on it. To this add minced chives and any kind of shredded cheese that you enjoy. Wrap in foil and pop this in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Scrumptdelicious!

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