Chives are native to areas such as Europe, Asia and North America. They have been used since 3000 BC, The ancient Romans believed that the strong flavour of the herb correlated to physical strength so they used it to feed their racehorses.
Chives belong to the allium family, which makes them relatives of onions, leeks, scallions, and garlic. Chives can be grown from seeds from a small plant, they like well-drained soil however don’t let it get dry. They tend to grow in clumps, and typically are one of the first herbs to pop up in the garden in spring. The more you cut your chives the better they grow! Not only are the leaves that chives produce edible but so are the flowers, so If your chives go to seed they will have a lovely lilac pom pom flower which is perfect for decorating salads. When it comes to using chives it is best to know a little goes a long way, due to having a strong flavour you don’t typically need a lot. Chives are probably the most versatile herb as they can be used on salads, jacket potatoes, meats, and fish.
This week Gill has included a lovely chive butter recipe for those wanting to try something new with their homegrown herb, this is a simple butter perfect to enhance so many dishes.
Chive butter
Ingredients
- ½ pound of butter
- Small bunch of chives
Method
- You will need to soften your half a pound of butter, then a bunch of chives (about the size of a 10p coin) and chop or cut with scissors finely and put them into the softened butter.
- Mix together until evenly spread
- Then put into greaseproof paper or clingfilm, make a sausage shape and roll.
- Then pop into the fridge to harden and use as required.
- This will keep for 6 months in a well-chilled fridge (if you can leave it that long!)
We hope you have learned something new today and for those of you who try out any of the recipes be sure to tag @GrimscoteManor in photos of your delicious food. We’d love to see them!
