Chives is such a satisfying herb to have in the garden. Throughout the years and difficult winters, it always comes back at spring. It's one of the first to grow and turn green as soon as the snow is gone. We usually use it in omelette, with boiled or mashed potatoes, or simply as garnish.
I wanted to find a new way to use chives in a big quantity. Some herbs, like oregano and chive, like to be regularly cut in order to produce now leaves. It's also a possibility to harvest it before it flowers.
Chive butter is delicious both for a homemade garlic bread or toast, or to cook with. It has a mild taste which doesn't turn you into an antisocial garlic mouth. The chive butter stays in the fridge for a while, although we eat it so fast that we can't quite tell you how long it last. Needless to say, there's a little Julia Child in us whispering "you can't have too much butter". Every now and then, it's just yummi !
Chives butter
Ingredients:
200-250 gr of room-temperature butter
A big bunch of fresh chives
1 clove of garlic
Recipe:
Put a small amount of butter to melt in a pot. Be careful, it mustn't brown!
In the meantime, chop the chives finely. Peel the garlic and press it.
Once the butter is melted, add the chives and garlic (if your butter is unsalted, add a god pinch of salt now). Leave it to infuse a few minutes on low temperature. Keep an eye on it, when the herbs are fragrant, remove from the heat and let it cool.
When the butter (and pot!) is cool enough, add the rest of the butter and mix gentle with a spatula.
Spoon the butter in a jar and keep in the fridge. Be aware that it will harden so if you want to spread it on a toast, you might need to take it out 15 minutes before using it.
