Homegrown Fresh Chives Recipes For The Summer

Many people are starting their own gardens to eat healthy and to save money on produce. Herbs are extremely popular choice and found in many home gardens. They are easy to grow and take up very little space. Herbs can be grown in a backyard garden, deck, or even right in you kitchen window.

Herbs are great for beginners who are just learning how to garden and interested in growing their own food. Seasoned gardeners will also have fun trying new herbs and using them in their own recipes. No matter if you are interested in gardening for the first time, or have been doing it your entire life, you will enjoy starting and maintaining your herb garden. Chives are an excellent herb to start with.

Chives are one of the herbs that should be in everyone's home garden. They are a very popular herb with a unique taste. They are the smallest member of the onion family, which is reflected through their taste. They have a very mild onion like flavor. If you enjoy onions, you will certainly enjoy fresh chives in your meals. Chives are a green and white plant that grows from a bulb. They are hollow inside and resemble long, green grass. They are also a perennial plant which means they will come back year after year. .

Chives are easy to grow and do well in both outside gardens and in kitchen windows. They should be planted in a sunny spot in the spring or summer because they grow best in warm temperatures and full sunlight. While chives grow well in almost any type of soil, it is important to water them frequently and keep them moist. Chives will thrive if they have the opportunity to get lots of sun and water.

They can be harvested from your garden when they reach 6-10 inches. When harvesting your plant, be sure to cut it at least two inches above the soil. Chives grow fast and can be harvest three or four times during the summer leaving you with large amounts of fresh herbs. They are best if used straight from the garden because they lose most of their flavor once dried or cooked.

Here are some tried and true recipes that call for fresh chives and will help you use your wonderful homegrown herbs this summer.

Recipe #1

Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Fresh Chives

Ingredients:

¼ cup of fresh chives

2 pounds of potatoes

½ cup of sour cream

½ cup of milk

Instructions:

First, peel and chop up the potatoes.

Next, put potatoes in a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 25 minutes until they are tender. Then, drain and mash the potatoes.

Once the potatoes are mashed, mix in milk. Then, stir in the sour cream and lastly stir in the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe #2

Garlic Chive Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh chives

1 package of spaghetti

4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Instructions:

First, cook spaghetti according to package.

While the pasta is cooking, peel and chop the garlic.

Then drain the pasta and cover to keep warm.

Next, heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add the spaghetti back to the pot. Stir in the garlic powder and fresh chives.

Recipe #3

Chive Dressing

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh chives

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

1 green onion

1 glove of garlic

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

First, chop the chives, green onion and garlic.

Next, blend together the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, green onion, garlic, sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor or blender.

Blend until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy your garden this summer by using fresh chives and other herbs regularly in your meals.