A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

On The Start Of Chive Blossom Season (And What To Make Of It)

20140323-IMG_58281-(1)

by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | It’s that time again – coveted chive blossom season! Chive blossoms are the best edible flower component on a salad, offering onion flavour packed in purple beauty. Along with onions, leeks and garlic, they belong in the allium family. Botanically speaking, they are Allium schoenoprasum, the smallest species in the edible onion genus.

As with other members of the allium family, chives have antibiotic properties – making them heroes at boosting the immune system. They combat colds, aid in digestion, help our circulatory systems, and act as a mild stimulant and diuretic. They also have antiseptic properties. What’s more, they’re rich in vitamin A, C, iron, and calcium, plus they contain trace amounts of sulphur. Who’d have guessed?

Chives are one of the fines herbes of French cuisine (see also tarragon, chervil, parsley), which is to say that the culinary uses are endless. The blossoms are particularly great as a salad garnish, in angel hair pasta with a lemon or cream sauce, in a vinaigrette, in an omelette with chevre, in mashed potatoes, you name it.

Chives are so easy to grow in the garden – they are a perennial herb, meaning they grow back every year. They’re best in full sun, but do well in shadier spots as well. They also make a benevolent companion to many veggies in the garden, too, repelling pests and attracting bees.

THE VICTORY GARDENS ARCHIVE