Spotlight on chives—the good guys

Since it’s April, I have decided to select a green ingredient for the ingredient of the month. Asparagus represents this time of year most commonly, but while it is basking in a spotlight of the culinary stage during the month of April, it is not the only opening crop during early gardening season.

I picked early chives. While you might find them on the shelves of your supermarket almost all year round, they are pioneers in my garden along with scallions and garlic.

These invigorating flavors, strong or subtle, along with dill, radishes, and sorrel were always associated with spring and early harvest for me since I was a little kid.

I chose onion's timid little brother not only because I like its mild oniony flavor—it is the smallest member of the onion family—but also because it has many nutritional qualities that are unfairly overlooked. I think it is because chives’ benefits are often compared to garlic’s and onions’ and in this comparison, they are rather faint. Never the less, chives are full of vitamins, enough to make it a main ingredient for a dish.

Alas, because of its size, I assume, it is mostly used as garnish or as an herb.

Chives are high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium. Its sulfur compounds—sulfides and sulfoxides have antibiotic properties. Chives contain essential oil that can be extracted from fresh green leaves and used to cure fungus infection of the skin. Other health benefits, very similar to those of chives big brothers, include ability to lower the blood pressure and this aid circulatory system.

Although these little straws of oniony crunchiness grow wild in both hemispheres, farmers have also cultivated chives for many years. Chives were cultivated in Europe in early XVI century and became one of the staples of French cuisine along with tarragon and chervil. Chives are commonly used in fish and meat dishes or condiments. Most of the time, it is used fresh but you can find it in a freeze-dried form in your supermarket’s herb isle as well.

I have been growing my own chives for few years now in containers on my deck. I read somewhere that the beautiful purple flowers, which burst in a cluster, emanate scent that is pest (insects) repellent at the same time attractive for bees. That is why it is a good idea to plant them in or near your garden.

Add chives to your next soup or salad, baked creation or sauce to give your taste buds a delicate hint of onion flavor and crunchy texture! As much as I would like to come up with a dish that uses chives as a main ingredient, this time I used them as a secondary ingredient in my favorite salad and in Sloppy Joes.

These two dishes are very easy and will be ready in minutes. I have to mention that my joeys get jumpy for Sloppy Joes!

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Chives Turkey Sloppy Joes for Joeys

Makes 8 ¼ lb sandwiches

2 lb ground turkey

1 cup chopped chives

½ cup chopped dill

1 generous T spoon dry chives

1 t spoon sea salt

½ t spoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (8 oz) tomato sauce

2 T spoons tomato paste

2 T spoons olive oil

1 T spoon balsamic vinegar (optional, not shown on the photo)

8 whole wheat buns (I used focaccia buns)

• Heat oil in a sauce pan, add turkey, dry chives, salt and pepper, sauté on high until turkey is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes) stirring to prevent scorching.
• Add tomato paste, tomato sauce let it boil then turn the heat down and simmer partially closed for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add vinegar, stir, and then add fresh chives and dill.
• Serve in a bun filled with about ¼ cup of turkey with some fresh vegetables and/or the following radish salad.

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Chives and Radish Spring Salad

For 4 1-cup servings

2 bunches of fresh radishes, leaves and ends trimmed, quartered

½ cup (2-3 generous T spoons) chopped chives

2 T spoons chopped fresh dill

2 T spoons sour cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Serve with Sloppy Joes or as a snack.

For some there is an asparagus to remind the spring is here, for me it is this salad with fine oniony flavor of chives and fresh crunch of the radishes.

Turkey Meatloaf and Green Beans+Savory Roasted Potatoes Toss

You know, it is quite convenient to browse around in the frozen entrée section: you get so many ideas and the shopping list right there on the package! So I spot, I snap a shot and I shop!

However, I get a little dizzy and my tummy starts to rumble from the myriad of colorful packages--it plays its part as an advertising so well!

Never the less, I kept looking and this time one little box kept on beckoning me.

But I didn't find any turkey breast this time in my supermarket (I seriously need to find another one!) so I went with ground turkey instead and decided to make a meat loaf. And instead of mashed potatoes--roasted savory potatoes+green beens toss. The rest fell into place...

The inspiration:

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Turkey Meatloaf and Green Beans+Savory Roasted Potatoes Toss

Note: The meatloaf and roasted potatoes could be cooked in the 400° F preheated oven together. Put two racks close together, enough for pan to go in. First, cook potatoes on the bottom rack and meatloaf on the top, then switch them half way through the cooking time (20 minutes)

Meatloaf

about 2 1/2 pound ground turkey meat

1 whole large egg

1/2 cup quick oatmeal

1 teaspoon each:

{onion powder

ground savory

paprika

freshly ground black pepper

sea salt}

1 TB spoon olive oil for the pan

1. Heat oven to 400°F
2. Mix all the ingredients to combine and transfer the mass to a meatloaf pan.
3. Cover the top with a parchment paper (to keep it from drying out) and bake for 50 minutes removing the paper last 20 minutes.
4. Cool before cutting, serve with Green Beans+Savory Roasted Potatoes and gravy (recipes below)

Green Beans and Savory Roasted Potatoes

1 bag frozen green beans, thawed

about 2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large red onion, quartered

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons each:

{ground savory

paprika

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper}

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. In a bowl, mix potatoes, onions, oil and spices, toss it to cover vegetables with seasoning
3. Place on a shallow baking pan (or cookie sheet) and bake for 40 minutes (or until potatoes are soft), tossing occasionally to prevent burning/sticking (about 2 times)
4. While potatoes are roasting, blanch green beans: throw them in a boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Or, if they are fully thawed, you can put them in a colander and pour boiling water over from the tea kettle--that's what I did. Put the prepared beans in a baking dish (lasagna pan) and set aside.
5. When potatoes and onions are done, cool them for 5 minutes and them slice the onions. Place potatoes and sliced onions together with beans, add a pinch of salt if desired and pop them back into the oven until the meatloaf is done (5-7 minutes).

Gravy

4 TB spoons butter (1/2 stick)

2 TB spoons all purpose flour

1 TB spoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 cup meatloaf drippings (collect it with pump while meatloaf is roasting)

pinch of salt

1. In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium heat
2. Whisk in flour and continue to stir over medium heat until all flour is dissolved
3. Add vinegar, continue whisking; add drippings and water and keep on stirring until all combined. Add salt, remove from heat and pour the gravy into the gravy boat.

Bon Appetité!