CHIVES

My small nephew calls them skinny onions. Each time I use them in my favourite pasta dish he moans: ‘’ Aunty I don’t like separating these skinny onions, with a fork!” Ha! Most children don’t like vegetables and often call them things but the tricky part is often use them in sweet dishes so they don’t realize they are actually eating vegetables.

Chives are part of the onion family and they often grow wild in Britain, Europe, Asia and the United States. The flavour of chives is a fugitive and elusive one, for the essential oil is highly volatile. For this reason, they are best used in cold dishes like potato salad and salsa.

When used in hot dishes like chive sauce for boiled beef, or consommé, they should be added only after the cooking is terminated. Chives contribute a delicious sharp, fresh green flavor that makes a marvelous foil to pale, bland, creamy dishes.

POTATO SALAD WITH CHIVES

*750g baby potatoes

*Six tablespoons olive oil

*One tablespoon Dijon mustard

*3 tablespoons white vinegar

*4 shallots finely chopped

*3 tablespoons chopped chives

*3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

*Sea salt and black pepper

*125g rocket for garnish

METHOD

Boil potatoes in their skins.

Once they are done, drain them well and leave to cool for a few minutes.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut tomatoes into thick slices.

Put them in a shallow bowl, and pour over the mustard, olive oil and vinegar, mixing gently so as to not break the potatoes.

Stir in the chopped shallots, salt and pepper, lastly fold in the herbs.

To serve, make a bed of rocket on a flat dish and turn out the potatoes to salad on to it.

Serve soon after making it.

CHEF’S HINTS AND TIPS

-Chives stimulate the appetite and aid digestion. They also act as a gentle laxative and a mild sedative because they contain iron and vitamin C.

- Chives can grow in any good soil.

 - Chives are extremely decorative when used as an edging or in drifts and the pinky blue flower heads add to their charm.