Chives are a nutrient-dense food. This means that they are low in calories but high in beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

That said, to get a significant amount of these nutrients, a person would have to eat a large quantity of chives. Instead, people often use chives as a fresh garnish. A common serving is about 1 tablespoon (tbsp), or 3 grams.

It’s really a pity that they’re delegated to the garnish department. As they’re part of the allium family (which includes onions, leeks, shallots, and garlic), they’ve inherited the trait of distinct flavor. But what’s lovely about the chive is that its flavor isn’t as sharp or intense. This means you can use them in abundance—a significant amount—for color, texture, and yes, flavor.

Since chives have a milder flavor, they're perfect to add to soups, dips, mashed or baked potatoes, fish, seafood dishes and omelets. But there’s one important thing to know when working with chives: heat destroys their delicate flavor. Thus, you want to add them to dishes at the last minute. To maximize their taste, thinly slice, chop or snip with kitchen shears before using. CHIVES into any landscape design.

But if you’re not growing them, you’ll find them in the fresh herbs section of your grocery store’s produce section. Shopping Tip: Choose chives with a uniform green color. Avoid those with signs of wilting or browning.

Once home, you’ll want to store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They’ll keep well for up to one week. Rinse well before using to remove any dirt or debris.

One of my favorite ways to use freshly snipped chives is to fold them, along with well-drained tuna into cottage cheese and then stuff this mixture into cored and hollowed fresh tomatoes. This makes a delicious lunch or supper. It’s divine when using garden fresh tomatoes!

Another way we like our chives is paired with mustard. We make a sauce that’s truly scrumptious and adds a marvelous flavor dimension when poured over any cooked white fish (tilapia, especially) and is lovely over ham. I think this would be delicious poured over the ground beef in a foil dinner, too. Here for your dining delight is the recipe we drool over.

If you have a chance, try this and let me know what you think. Meanwhile, hat’s off to chives. They deserve way more attention than they get. We ought to stop seeing them as just a garnish and put ‘em to work. They can handle it!



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