Chives are one of the first herbs to make an appearance in my garden. I have planted them everywhere using them both in the herb garden and in the flower garden for their purple flower. I cut them all summer long to use cut finely on scrambled eggs, garnished on top of egg salad, sprinkled on to broiled meats or a filling in baked potatoes mixed in with sour cream. I also use the flowers slightly broken apart and thrown into a salad bowl. Harvest them by cutting them within 1 inch of the ground and I get to enjoy them all season.

I have so many chives this year, I decided to make up a pesto for pizza or pasta. It turned out delicious and Aubrey Rose was eating it with a spoon spread onto crackers.

If you have plenty in your garden, you’ll want to make this up and freeze it for a summer taste in the middle of winter – or gobble it up like we did!

Chive Blossom Pesto

1 cup or about 50 g chives including blossoms
4-5 garlic cloves, 10 g garlic
1/2 cup, 50 g walnuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup, 125 olive oil

Wash the chives, peel the garlic and put everything into the food processor except the oil. Once the chive mixture is finely chopped, add in the oil in a slow stream. The pesto should be not too thick but not runny. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Freezes well.

Lemon Balm Dip

1 cup washed leaves of lemon balm or about 10 g
1 tsp coarse pepper 
approximately 2/3 – 1 cup, 150 gram chèvre

Put all the ingredients into a food processor (save 3 leaves for garnish) and blend well. Press the extra leaves of the lemon balm onto the top of the dip. Saves well in the refrigerator for a week. Serve with crackers or cut vegetables.