what you should know
An aromatic masking as an herb. A slender, slight blade that implies (rather than declares) onion flavor. A garnish's garnish. That's pretty much the skinny on chives.
afterthought Because chives are the most delicate of the onions, they're usually added near or at the end of cooking-- sprayed across the surface of a soup, folded into an omelet, sprinkled on warm noodles or spooned over a baked potato from the salad bar (though not the one at Applebee's).
fines herbes Chives are one of four herbs that form the classic fines herbes. They're also central to the Persian New Year's dish sabzi polo and the Blue Flower omelet, a chive flower-herb omelet traditional in Shaker cooking.
chives tales If you get scorched in the summer sun, take heart: the Romans apparently used chives to treat sunburn.
what you need
Do you use scissors to snip herbs? If not, you're missing out on the joy of kitchen shears.
Each of us owns a rotary herb mill. None of us uses it. Ever.
Use this Cuisinart mini-prep processor to make chive oil, chive butter, chive vinegar, chive vinaigrette and chive cream cheese.
Somehow, it just wouldn't be as funny if it were called The Chive.
what you do
Chilled cantaloupe soup with chives and prosciutto is a perfect cool dinner for a hot summer night.
A shower of chives adds a delicate onion flavor to this heirloom tomato and herb salad.
Tortellini with tarragon, chives and parsley is a nice, light seasonal pasta. (Add chervil to make it tortellini aux fines herbes.)
Next time you're craving meat and potatoes, try a grilled flank steak and braised new potatoes with spring onions, garlic and chives.
You'll have to read Kin Sunée's Trail of Crumbs to get the full story on her whispery eggs with crabmeat and herbs. For a more classic egg-herb combination, try an omelette aux fines herbes.
Featured recipe: This herbed tuna salad with feta and pine nuts comes from Nicole of Pinch My Salt. It's the featured recipe for this week's Root Source Challenge.
Look for a cantaloupe that has unblemished skin with no sign of a greenish tint, which means that it isn't yet ripe.
Pick it up. It should feel heavy relative to its size.
Now put your nose to it and sniff. Cantaloupes should smell musky and sweet, but not overly perfumey, as this is a sign that they have gotten overripe.
Meze is Greek for appetizer or hors d'oeuvre. A platter of tapas-like Greek mezedes (small dishes) may include stuffed grape leaves, tzatziki, tarama, grilled octopus, feta cheese, meatballs and olives.
A meze platter is often served with a glass of alcohol and indeed is meant to accompany the booze rather the other way around. Still, while it's customary in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines to serve various meze before a meal, a nice selection can easily make a meal in itself.
