Chives

Chives {Allium schoenoprasum}


A part of the same botanical family as onions, scallions and garlic, chives grow from small bulbs and have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses.

In the Middle Ages, chives were promoted as a cure for melancholy and believed to drive away evil spirits. Today, we know that chives and chive flowers are high in Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Therefore, they should be routinely added to recipes to help restore vital nutrients lost in cooking.

This herb's tangy, aromatic taste comes from its high concentration of sulfur compounds and other essential oils, which are also partly responsible for its healing properties. Chives ease stomach distress, protect against heart disease and stroke and may help the body fight bacteria that can cause disease.

In addition, the herb may increase the body's ability to digest fat.

Don't overlook chive flowers – the delicate purple flowers have a milder flavor than the leaves and add a decorative touch to salads, herb oils and other dishes.

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Chive-Flower Oil
1 ½ oz – Chive Blossoms
1 Qt – Vegetable Oil

Put the chive blossoms in the oil. After a week, the oil will turn lilac and take on the fragrance of the chive flowers. Use the oil on salads or in cooking. Keep it refrigerated when not in use.
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The medicinal properties of chives are as varied as their uses in the kitchen. Chives stimulate the appetite and promote good digestion. They can be used to ease stomach upset, clear a stuffy nose, reduce flatulence and prevent bad breath. Combined with a low-salt diet, they help lower high blood pressure. Plus they have a mild diuretic effect, as well as some antibacterial properties.

Chives are valued for their many essential minerals, including cardiac-friendly potassium, bone-strengthening calcium and blood-building iron. As noted earlier they are high in folic acid and vitamin C, they also high in vitamin A. In fact, just 3 ½ oz. of chives supplies enough vitamin C to meet your daily requirement of 60 mg.

Now some more recipes:

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Chive Salt
Add some chives to salt, until it looks to be the consistency you want. Then bake the mixture in the oven to dry the leaves and blend the flavors. When they are cooled you can store in an airtight jar.

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Cottage Cheese with Chives

8 oz – Cottage Cheese
1 Tbsp – Mustard
1 – Shallot
1 Bunch – Chives
½ Tsp – Paprika
Salt
White Pepper

Blend the cottage cheese and mustard.

Peel the shallot, chop finely and mix with the cottage cheese blend.

Wash and dry the chives and snip them finely. Stir about two-thirds of the chives into the cottage cheese mixture.
Season the mixture with the paprika and salt & pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with the remaining chives on top.
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Even more good news: Scientific research shows that chives stimulate the body's digestion of fat. Eaten regularly, chives may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Since they are high in vitamin C, chives can help to prevent colds. They also speed recovery if a cold develops by helping the body to expel mucus; the sulfurous compounds in chives are natural expectorants.

Here are a few Kitchen Hints when working with Chives:

• Cut chives just before you are ready to use them. This will help to preserve their vitamins, aroma and flavor. Chives are delicate; to prevent the loss of essential oils, snip them with kitchen shears rather than chopping or grinding them.
• Don't heat chives. They will lose their valuable vitamin C, as well as their digestive properties.
• Grow chives at home. Most easily grown in a pot on a windowsill. Wait until the plant reaches about 6 inches in height before cutting. Harvest the chive leaves frequently to prevent blooming unless you specifically want to use the flowers. Once the plant blooms, the leaves become much less flavorful.
• Freeze the chives for future use. Frozen chives tend to retain more flavor than dried chives. Snip fresh chives into small pieces, then place them in an ice-cube tray and fill it with water. To thaw, put a chive cube in a strainer.
   

Well I hope that I have maybe educated you a little and inspired you to add chives to your diet. They are good for you!

New England Guacamole

A friend of mine in New England gave me this basic recipe when I was a young man and I was only familiar with Southern Cooking. It is one of my "go-to" recipes that I use often. You will see other recipes for various Guacamoles (over time) on this blog. But I wanted to share this one as it is simple and delicious and very easy to make (well, with the exception of peeling the tomatoes).

 Let me give you a heads up on the peeling process. Blanch the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and submerge the tomatoes in for just a minute or so – as soon as you see the skin look a bit wilted. Take them out and plunge them into ice water – this will stop them from cooking. The skin will come right off and leave you with a nice skinless tomato. Be careful not to keep them in the boiling water too long!

 This would be a great recipe that I could make for my Mom…but I am not sure if I could get her to eat it. She is southern and quite picky…but since she can't eat tomatoes with the skin on them, it would be easily incorporated. Maybe next time I am home, I will see if I can get her to eat it…Wish me Luck!

 New England Guacamole

1 – Medium Tomato, Peeled
1 – Ripe Haas Avocados
¼ Cup – Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp – Canned Chili Peppers, Chopped
1 ½ Tsp – White Vinegar
1 Tsp – Salt
¼ Tsp – Pepper

Crush the tomato with a potato masher. Slice avocados & crush into the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Refrigerate for at least ½ hour prior to serving. When storing in the refrigerator, place plastic wrap (i.e. Saran) over container and make sure that the plastic is completely covering and touching the mixture. This will help it to keep the bright green color.

If you want to make more than this rends, just double or triple and it works quite nicely!

Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza Rollovers

Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza Rollovers

(Serves 2)

1 Tbsp - EVOO
1 – Piece of Flatbread (I use FlatOut Light Italian Herb Flatbread)
2 Tbsp – Marinara Sauce (homemade or your favorite store brand)
Pepperoni (thin slices)
1 Clove of Garlic
Onion – sliced thin in 1-inch pieces
Kalamata Olives – cut in half
Oregano
Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Warning – Do not use a Toaster Oven as this could be a fire hazard!!!

Place the flatbread on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. Brush with Olive Oil…you don't want to soak it just slightly coat it.

Spoon the marinara sauce onto the flatbread and spread out to cover. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over the sauce – not to completely cover but to form a base. Lay pepperoni slices all over the flatbread (as much or as little as you like). Then place sprinkle minced garlic over evenly, add the sliced onions and olives (again as much or little as you like). Take a large pinch of oregano and squeeze it in your fingertips and sprinkle over the surface of the flatbread.

Sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese to cover. Remove any excess that may have fallen onto the stone or sheet.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and starting to get golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide onto a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Lay the flatbread lengthwise (so that the longest portion is perpendicular to you) and take a pizza cutter and cut into 2 to 3 inch width slices. Fold these over and arrange on a plate.

A really good salsa to serve with it is the Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa in a previous recipe. (As seen in the picture). I said it serves 2 – but this was a meal for me…Oh well, I guess that is why my clothes are getting tighter. Hmmmm…

Also, you could use any toppings that you like – this is the one that I made and with the salsa it was a perfect blend of flavor!