A Hero plant: chives
I’ve written before about some of my hero plants in our raised bed potager garden, chives would be at the top of that list. We currently have 8 mature plants in 4 different beds, which were originally 4 plants that have been split as they’ve matured and expanded. They thrive in our conditions here and are the first sign of green to pop through the soil in Spring, and the last plant we’re still cutting from in the Fall. They’re completely low maintenance - we cut them right down about 3 times per season, and they quickly grow right back. I love the plants radial shape and how much fullness they add to our beds but especially love the burst of purple blooms so early in the season. The only issue is, they produce such an abundance of chives that its more than we can possibly consume ourselves, they don’t last long once picked and it’s too much of a chore even to give them away (I’ve tried). This year I vowed to find a way to make better use of them and after seeing recipes for garlic scape pesto I was instantly inspired to try the same method with chives. We love basil pesto and use it often so I imagined we could use a chive pesto in all the same ways. Since we have zero success growing basil here due to cold and wet conditions, I was hoping this could satisfy my basil pesto craving.
There are loads of chive pesto recipes online, each different in some way, so based on the various methods and ingredients other recipes used, I created my own version. Well it turned out so incredibly GOOD, from the first batch and every batch after that I’m excited to share it for anyone else that’s growing chives. Its better than any store-bought pesto I’ve tasted.
Since we have a continuous supply of chives at the ready I’ve been making continuous batches of this pesto all summer. Its so fresh and so flavourful, its addictive - we’ve been using it on everything. It’s better than any store-bought pesto I’ve ever tasted. Delicious as a condiment or baste on grilled fish, chicken or pork,,,, tossed with pasta, on homemade pizza, on eggs, on sandwiches, for bruschetta and with cheese and crackers. Here’s the recipe:
CAROL’S GARDEN CHIVE PESTO
ingredieNTS
2 Cups - Finely Chopped Fresh Chives
3/4 to 1 Cup - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup - Fine Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup - Sliced Almonds
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1 Small Garlic Clove - minced
method
add 1/2 Cup of the olive oil to a blender
add in the chives and blend on high until combined
add in the nuts and blend on high until combined
add in garlic, parmasean, lemon juice and blend on high, gradually adding in remaining olive oil plus more until desired consistency
Notes: You can make the texture of pesto as chunky or smooth as you like depending how long you blend it. Use as much oil as you like, I find the consistency of 3/4 C of oil is just right for bottling to use as a condiment or baste on meats etc, but for other uses you might want more oil,, just add as needed per use. I used a blender but you could use a mixer or food processor, you don’t have to finely chop the chives or garlic in that case. You can substitute the almonds for walnuts or pecans but I like that the almonds are mild in flavour so they don’t overpower the chives.
This recipe makes enough for a 270 - 300g jar.
After harvesting the chives, separate/remove the thick flower stems from the bunch, set aside some of the buds for garnish, rinse, pat dry the chives, then cut off any brown tips or white ends.
Finely chop the chives if your using a blender, otherwise if using a food processor just loosely chop. Once finished mixing all the ingredients scoop into jars and garnish with a flower bud.
I added tags to these bottles and gifted them to friends. Some other batches I spooned into plastic lined ice cube trays instead of jars and froze them into cubes before turning them out into a zip lock bag to store in the freezer. (Line ice cube trays with plastic wrap first to prevent your tray from taking on the taste of the chives.)
One of my favourite creations was a pesto goat cheese ball where I coated a ball of goats cheese with chive pesto, drizzled it with olive oil and garnished with chive flowers, served with crackers. It was devoured before I even thought to take a photo - next time! Our most common use for the pesto is to toss it with hot pasta then add in some goats cheese just before plating, and a squeeze of lemon. So fast, so simple and absolutely chef’s kiss delicious.
I’m not great at remembering to take photos of food before serving it but I’ll keep it mind next next time I make a dish with the pesto so I can update this post.
Our garden beds from 2 weeks ago, in the never ending July rain. A raised bed with a boxwood and 4 chive plants flanking it, this was the 2nd growth of these plants after being cut right down at the end of June.
We’ve got months of fresh chives still ahead of us, and now the pickling cukes, snap peas, and zucchini are exploding, its just the best time of year when we can eat something from the garden every day. Beyond that Its challenging to keep up with getting things jarred, canned or preserved if your not eating it all fresh - ours is a relatively small garden so I can totally understand why people set up roadside stands.
If you grow chives, I hope you enjoy trying this recipe or creating a version of your own.
