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Mild cousin to the onion, chives have a subtle onion flavor
and are a popular addition to dips, sauces, and potato dishes.
Although commonly submitted for chives, green onions are significantly
larger, meatier, and far more pungent. Chives, on the other
hand, are quite delicate, with very thin, hollow, grass-like
leaves.
Chives are very easy to grow, requiring minimal attention
and thriving in poor soil and a wide range of conditions.
(Mine have weathered 3 years of neglect in 112° Texas
summers, light winter freezes, droughts, deluges and a level
of neglect that kills off half my yard and garden every year.
Even if they die off over the winter, they'll come back good
as new in the spring.) They're wonderfully convenient--just
snip off what you need.
Snip chives into dishes with scissors; store uncut chives
in the fridge in a plastic bag, for up to a week. Add chives
to dishes at the end of cooking.
Dried chives are no substitute for fresh, but, can add an
interesting element to homemade spice blends. Chives are also
a component of fines herbes.
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