Chives Galore!


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I’ve had chives in my herb garden for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never figured out how to incorporate them into my cooking.

This spring, since I’m unemployed, the newly appointed head chef, and trying to minimize trips to the grocery store (for both financial and COVID reasons), I decided it was time I figured out how to eat chives.

Harvested chives on my cutting board, with blossoms removed
Harvested chives on my cutting board, with blossoms removed from the stem, all ready to make my two new favorite recipes!

I’m pleased to report that I’ve found two recipes that together use the entire plant.

I’m happily adding the chive blossoms to my salads – no recipe necessary, I simply pull the petals off the stem and   sprinkle them in top of my salad. The taste is mild and they look gorgeous!

I’ve fallen in LOVE with this chive vinaigrette recipe from my friend, Joyce (you can follow her on Facebook @MosaicStarfish).

Chive vinaigrette recipe

I don’t regularly keep champagne vinegar in my pantry, but I never let a little substitution slow me down, so I made it with apple cider vinegar instead. It was delicious! Maybe it’s even better with champagne vinegar?

From top left to right: chive blossoms harvested from my backyard herb garden, the four simple ingredients required to make this vinaigrette, and the finished product in a repurposed tahini glass jar
From top left to right: chive blossoms harvested from my backyard herb garden, the four simple ingredients required to make this vinaigrette, and the finished product in a repurposed tahini glass jar

Recipe #2 uses the green part of the chive plant and comes from the April 2020 issue of Bon Apetit. You can find the original recipe here. Below is my modified version.

Chive Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon honey

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup chilled club soda (this is a critical ingredient; I made it once without this and they weren’t nearly as good)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
A big bunch of chives, thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 2 cups)
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Whisk garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and honey in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk honey, club soda, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a medium bowl to combine, then pour into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth (be careful not to overmix; it’s okay if there are a few small lumps). Fold in chives.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high. Pour ¼ cup batter into skillet. Cook until bottom of pancake is set and golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing down on pancake to create direct contact with pan, until other side is golden, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, turning often to keep scallions from burning, until golden brown and crisp and cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer pancake to a wire rack. Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed, to make a total of 8 pancakes.

Serve with sauce on the side for dipping.

From top left to right: ingredients for the sauce (minus the honey), pancakes frying in my cast iron pan, and the finished product with the amazing dipping sauce
From top left to right: ingredients for the sauce (minus the honey), chive pancakes frying in my cast iron pan, and the finished product with the amazing dipping sauce – so delicious!

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