Chives!

 

Our next herb is chives. 99% of the time we use these to sprinkle on top of various dishes, so that was our first choice - adding them to our scrambled eggs. We'll see if we come up with more original ideas as the days pass. Some great ideas can be found at this link. Apparently the number one use is to make Chive Butter to dollop on steak, but you can also add them to any seafood dish, creamy soups, dips, mashed potatoes, eggs and biscuits.

This dip looks intriguing, but I'll have to go to the store first. I've never made Crème Fraîche; it is super easy and maybe we'll make it again some day.

Caramelized Onion Dip

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup crème fraîche**
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for finishing
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Melt the butter in a skillet; add the onion and shallots. Cook until soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Incorporate half the cooled onion mixture into the dip. Place in a serving bowl, then top with remaining onions. Serve with potato chips or vegetable sticks.

**Combine 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk with enough heavy cream to equal 1 cup, then cover with lint-free towel and let sit at room temperature overnight/24 hours until thick.

And crab (or maybe salmon) cakes is another idea, but that will have to wait because the above recipe used all the chives!

Crab Cakes:

• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pound lump crab meat, picked through for shell pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely minced red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely minced chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• Peanut or vegetable oil for frying (about ¼ cup)
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Chive Mayo Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch or two of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives