C H I V E S

Chives ease stomach distress, protect against heart disease and stroke and may help the body fight bacteria that can cause disease. The herb may increase the body's ability to digest fat.

If you like the oniony flavor of chives, make your own chive salt to add zip to all sorts of dishes. First, add some chives to some salt. Then bake the mixture in the oven to dry the leaves and blend the flavors. Store in an airtight jar.

Snip chives with kitchen shears rather than chopping or grinding them because they are delicate, and this will prevent the loss of essential oils.

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 cottage cheese mixture with the paprika and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining chives on top.

Freeze Chives for future use:
Frozen chives tend to retain more flavor than dried chives. Snip fresh chives into small pieces. place them in an ice-cube tray, and fill it with water. To thaw, put a chive cube in a strainer.

Don't overlook the flowers!
The chive's delicate purple flowers have a milder flavor than the leaves and add a decorative touch to salads, oils and other dishes. To make a chive-flower oil, add 1 ½ oz. of the blossoms to 1 quart of vegatable oil. After one 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.

Grow chives at home......
...in a pot on the 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 less flavorful.

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