Employee Picks – Chive Flowers

Every Month we bring you ‘Employee Picks‘ where one of our Nurtured team will choose their favourite product and share with you all why they think it’s a must have in the kitchen and what they would pair it with.

Our health, safety and technical officer, Jake explains why chive flowers are his favourite product this season:

“The product I have chosen today is Chive Flowers, these are my favourite flower because the colour as well as the taste”

“This product has a great onion flavour, the dish I would pair them with is a lovely potato salad”

Jake being a keen chef in his spare time went on to say..

“Chive Flowers could also be eaten and used as a garnish on such things as, salads, sandwiches, stocks, creamy sauces or simply just adding to the dish just before serving.”

Some other ways to use this versatile flower would be to float on top of soups to add a slight onion quality without being pungent. Use the chive flowers in savoury pancakes and raw herbal sauces. They are also very complimentary to, potato, eggs, cream, ginger, lime, parsley and thyme.

Jake’s Top Tips…

• For garnishing and cooking break the flower into individual florets.
• As tempting as this delicate flower looks, avoid putting the whole flower into your mouth as this can be very overpowering.
• Typically used as a garnish, but don’t ignore them being part of the ingredient list.
• Use the individual florets as a classic seasoning.
• Add to your favourite sauce or vinaigrette to give your taste buds an exciting burst of flavour.

Did you know…

Nurtured in Norfolk’s Chive Flower is classified as perennial herb and is the smallest member of the onion family. The edible flower has long and slender flower petals that are a vibrant violet colour, consisting of tiny, star-shaped bulbs and offering a light garlic scent with a mild onion, floral undertone. Chive Flowers have a grassy, earthy flavour with a distinct garlic taste and crunchy texture.

Members of the onion family such as chives and garlic have naturally occurring antibiotic properties an have long been used to aid in digestion, fight off colds and boost the immune system.

Nurtured’s Chive Flowers are only available for a very short season from May-January, make sure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to add fantastic bursts of flavour to your autumn menus this year.