---

I am going to talk a bit about chives today––the wonderful herb that is one of the first to appear your garden in the spring. Chives have been perking up foods with their mild, sweet, oniony taste for thousands of years. They were first used in the Orient and ancient Greece, becoming a favorite in European gardens and kitchens. When the colonists set said for the new world, chives rode the waves with them.

Closely related to the onion, chives are bulb plants. Their thin, pointed, hollow leaves and flowering stems grow to an average height of 18-inches. In this month of June, they bloom with pale purple pompom flowers, which when picked, and gently pulled apart make a beautiful garnish to sprinkle over salads, cauliflower and cooked or baked potatoes, adding just a slight hint of onion flavor.

They also make lovely borders along any flower or herb garden. I picked a bunch of the flowering stems, added some white daisies, making a lovely bouquet to set on my kitchen counter. Did they give off an odor? No, they just looked pretty.

When harvesting chives, wait until the leaves are about 6-inches tall before snipping, cut them at ground level so they will grow back again.

+++++

How about a topping for baked potatoes.

CHIVEY POTATO TOPPER

1-8 oz. package lite cream cheese

1/3 c. light cream (half & half)

2-3 T. snipped fresh chives

1-1/2 t. lemon juice

1/4 t. garlic powder

baked potatoes

In a small bowl, combine cheese and cream. Beat until smooth; blend in chives, lemon juice and garlic powder. Mix well.

Serve a dollop on baked potatoes. Makes one cup.

+++++

Even if you’re not a yeast bread maker, you’ll have no trouble making this bread.

POTATO HERB BREAD

2-1/4 oz. package active dry yeast

2 T. plus 1 t. sugar, divided

1/2 c. warm water (110-115 degrees)

1-10-3/4 oz. can condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted

1 c. hot water

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. non-fat dry milk powder

1/2 c. snipped fresh chives

2 T. butter or margarine, melted

2 t. salt

1 t. dried tarragon, crushed

6 to 6-1/2 c. flour

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 t. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine soup and hot water, mixing well.

Stir in yeast mixture and next six ingredients and remaining 2 T. sugar; mix well.

Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Put in large greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Punch dough down. Divide in half. Shape into two loaves and put in two 9x5 greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Let cool completely before slicing. Makes two loaves.

+++++

If you like seasoned butters to spread on bagels, muffins, etc., try this.

CHIVE BUTTER

1 T. snipped fresh chives

1/2 c. softened butter or margarine

In small bowl, combine chives and margarine until creamy. If you like garlic, add a couple of dashes of garlic powder, too.

This spread is good on steaks and broiled seafood, especially salmon. Makes about 1/2 cup.

+++++

Another member of the onion family is the leek, similar looking to the pencil onion (green onion), but on a much larger scale. When preparing leeks for cooking, strip off the outer leaves, cutting the green part down to 4 or 5 inches in length, then cutting off the root. They cook quickly, in 15 to 20 minutes in boiling water. Wash them thoroughly as they are prone to hiding sand or dirt among the leaves, especially if the bulb (white part) is not snuggled tightly together. Leeks, boiled in lightly salted water, then drained and chilled are delicious with a little French dressing drizzled on top.

+++++

This is a wonderful soup to serve guests for a light lunch, along with some type of bread, such as the potato herb bread.

CREAM OF LEEK SOUP

FRENCH STYLE

2 bunches leeks (3 medium, to a bunch), trimmed as above and washed thoroughly

4 T. butter or margarine

4 T. flour

4 c. whole milk (can use half & half cream and 1% or 2% milk)

Cut leeks into 1/4-inch slices. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add leeks. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until tender but not browned. Stir in flour, stirring constantly; cook 2-3 minutes. Heat milk until hot; gradually stir into flour mixture. Simmer gently, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally or until leeks are very soft.

Pour mixture through a sieve, forcing leeks through, using the back of a large spoon.

Return the puree to the pan and add the rest of the milk. Season with salt and white pepper to taste; bring to a boil again over medium heat, stirring. Let simmer 4-5 minutes. Serve very hot with the croutons. Serves 4-5.

+++++

Thought for today: The Romans believed if you hang a string of onions in your house, you will be healthy. You will probably not have friends stay very long when visiting either.

---