Seasonal Pantry: Chives and their blossoms a delicate treat

When I picked up my eggs at a nearby farm last week, I got a little surprise: a bottle of white vinegar tinted pink by chive flowers.

That sent me off to my garden to check on my chives, which I have been growing for years.

Chives are one of the easiest things to grow, even if you have no garden. You can plant them in a clay pot and always have them at the ready. If you have even a little patch of land, you can plant chives outside; they will grow almost anywhere.

The round, hollow chivesmost familiar to us are onion chives. Their flavor is evocative of onions. When they flower, their blossoms are round and about half the size of a ping pong ball. Each blossom is made up of a few dozen little flowers that can be pinched off and used as a garnish in salads and savory dishes.

There are other types of chives including Chinese chives, also known as garlic chives because of their garliclike flavor. The flowers on these are small, white and star-shaped. These chives are broad and flat and are commonly used in stir-frys, soups, stews and dumplings.

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Chives contribute a delicate, yet unmistakable flavor to vinegar. Use wherever you would use a white vinegar and want another layer of flavor. I find they are delicious sprinkled over steamed rice or red beans and rice.

Chive Flower Vinegar

Makes 1 pint

2 cups good quality white wine vinegar

3 chive blooms, individual flowers separated

Pour the vinegar into a glass jar, add the chive flowers and close the jar with a nonmetallic closure.

Set in a cool dark place for 3 to 4 days before using.

You can top off the jar several times as you use the vinegar.

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Green Goddess Dressing is, at its best, a celebration of spring’s fresh herbs. The creamy dressing is traditionally served with seafood salads, and it also makes an excellent accompaniment with steamed artichokes, French breakfast radishes, fresh fennel and hard-cooked eggs.

Green Goddess Dressing (By Hand)

Makes about 1 ½ cups

3 garlic cloves, peeled

- Kosher salt

2 minced anchovy fillets (optional)

1 egg yolk

2/3 - ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream

¼ cup fresh snipped chives

¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons fresh minced tarragon

- Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons chive vinegar or white wine vinegar

- Black pepper in a mill

Put the garlic into a large mortar or suribachi, sprinkle lightly with salt and pound with a wooden pestle until the garlic is reduced to a smooth paste. Add the anchovies, if using, and continue to pound until they are incorporated into the garlic. Add the egg yolk and mix thoroughly, until thick and creamy.

Begin to add olive oil, a few drops at a time, continuing to mix with the pestle. Add as much of the olive oil as the egg mixture will absorb.

Stir in the creme fraiche or sour cream. Add the chives, parsley and tarragon and mix in the lemon and vinegar. Add several turns of black pepper. Taste and correct for salt and acid. Chill, covered, for 1 hour before serving.

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If you are nervous about making dough, this is a great place to start. This dough is pretty much foolproof.

You can find Chinese chives in Asian markets such as Asia Mart and Phnom Penh, both in Santa Rosa.

Chinese Chive Pockets

Makes 12 dumplings

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

- Kosher salt

1 cup hot water

6 ounces Chinese chives, chopped

2 ounces mung bean or rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water until fully refreshed, drained

4 tablespoon peanut oil or mild olive oil

3 eggs, beaten

- Toasted sesame oil

- Rice vinegar

- Soy sauce

- Vietnamese chile garlic sauce or other Asian hot sauce

Put the flour in a medium bowl and add about a teaspoon of salt. Pour in the hot water and stir with a fork until all the water has been absorbed. Set aside to cool for about ?5 minutes.

Dust a clean work surface with flour, set the dough on it and knead the dough until it become smooth and velvety, about 55 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside.

Put the chives into a large bowl.

Drain the noodles, rinse them in cool water and cut them into very short pieces. Add to the bowl with the chives.

Set a nonstick pan over high heat and add half the peanut oil. When it is hot, pour in the eggs. Let cook undisturbed for about a minute, then use a fork to quickly scramble them; do not overcook. Tip them into the bowl with the chives. Season with about a teaspoon of salt and mix gently but thoroughly. Taste, correct for salt, cover and set aside.

Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface, set the dough on top and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle.

Divide the filling between the 12 pieces of dough, mounding it just a bit off center. Fold over the dough and use the tines of a fork to press the two side together. You can leave it like this or you can pleat the dough to seal it more tightly and improve its appearance.

To cook the pockets, pour the remaining peanut or olive oil into a heavy skillet or frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the pockets in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook for about 3 minutes, until golden brown on the underside. Turn, cover and cook 3 minutes more. Uncover and cook a bit longer if not yet golden brown on the second side. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the pockets to a platter, plate or bowl.

To enjoy, each guest should put a bit of each condiment on a plate and then set the pockets on top.

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Serve these fragrant little dumplings alongside roast chicken or simply as a delicious snack at the end of the day.

Chive Dumplings with Brown Butter

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

¼ cup sour cream or creme fraiche

- Hot water

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Stir with a fork and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, melted butter and sour cream or creme fraiche. Set aside.

Fill a wok or steamer about ¼ full with water and set a steamer basket or rack on top.

Bring the water to a boil. Butter a pie plate or other heat-proof plate that will fit inside the steamer.

Pour hot water into a small heatproof cup or bowl.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture and the ½ cup of chives into the flour mixture, working quickly until the batter is just barely combined. Do not overmix.

Using a tablespoon dipped into the hot water, form the dumplings and drop them onto the buttered pie pan or plate, about 2 inches apart. Work in batches, if needed.

Set the pan or plate on the steamer, cover and steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan continuously, until the melted butter turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Quickly remove from the heat.

Transfer the cooked dumplings to a heated platter, pour the butter over them, sprinkle with the remaining chives and enjoy right away.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com