Garlic chives

[TeakettleSlim]

I'm finally doing the major weeding out of my garden that I've been putting off for 5 years. The garlic chives have taken over wherever the oregano hasn't gotten to first. I know I can use them in eggs, stir-frys, compound butter. But I have a lot. Like, I've already pulled up probably a pound of them and am not even a quarter of the way through. I'm moving to another state in a couple of weeks (hence the desperate last-minute attempt at landscaping before we try to sell this place), so freezing them is not worth doing at this point.

Any suggestions for creative culinary uses? Or maybe I should just make paper with them.

[heidih]

Make a huge batch of a pesto and sell it at the garage sale you will inevitably have or gift to the folks who help you pack

[qrn]

I have similar amount of them,even though I cut the flowers off, they are endless....

(will watch this for ideas...)

Bud..

[SobaAddict70]

I use them as I would with scallions.

[SobaAddict70]

My previous post wasn't so helpful so here's something that gives you an idea.

They're like parsley in my pantry.

I normally go through 2-3 bunches of Italian and flat-leaf parsley A WEEK.

So when spring and summer rolls around, I add garlic chives to the mix.

Fried rice

Omelettes

Pasta

In salsa

With grilled or broiled meats and fish

Steamed vegetables, then sautéed in butter with chives and parsley

With gambas al ajillo -- sprinkle salt on peeled shrimp, set aside for 10 minutes, then sauté in unsalted butter or olive oil with a couple cloves of chopped garlic, eat with bread or serve with pasta or rice

With homefries

In a tomato salad -- diced Jersey or heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs; serve with crispy toast and eggs sunnyside-up

Summer minestrone

With barely steamed zucchini and summer squash, toss in a sauce of unsalted butter, mint and oregano, and a pinch of salt

As a filling for part of a filling for jiaozi. I make two kinds, one with pork and one with caramelized onions, shallots and garlic chives.

The possibilities are endless.

Edited June 24, 2011 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Shalmanese]

The Chinese do a dish of egg & garlic chive dumplings which can use up a prodigious amount of garlic chives.

[Will]

The Chinese do a dish of egg & garlic chive dumplings which can use up a prodigious amount of garlic chives.

There is also a similar snack (韭菜盒) which is more like a wheat dough "pocket" of egg and garlic chive (or ground pork and garlic chive) - very similar to an empanada. The outside is made from flour and water, or flour and solid fat (lard, veg oil, whatever). Egg and garlic chive dumplings or pockets also often have xia mi (the small dried shrimp) in them, for those who aren't vegetarian.

has a method for the meat type (full recipe in Chinese in the text on the Youtube page) - roughly, to make the dough, take 3 C all purpose flour, and add 1C hot water. Mix, and add a half cup of cool water. Knead. Put aside for 20-30 minutes. I think you'd use a solid fat in the flour if you wanted a flakier pocket.

I know you mentioned stir-fries already; I like the yellow garlic chives (jiu huang) stir-fried with cut up tofu sheets.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Will (log)

[andiesenji]

Garlic Chives pancakes - I add grated Asiago cheese.

There are several variations.

You can prepare them, wrap tightly and freeze them and reheat them in the oven - very good with brown gravy.

[qrn]

I am gonna try some in some vinigarette...I did some the other day with chive flowers and garlic and onion juice so the stuff may work well...will reportback

Bud..

[bwv544]

In addition to scrambled eggs and jiaozi and chive pancakes, my mom would put them in meatballs.

Meatballs would go in soup or be eaten on their own.

Meatballs were made with pork, sometimes chicken, or sometimes pork and fish paste. Sometimes the meatballs tasted mostly of garlic chives and not much else.

Our garlic chives ended up taking over the whole yard, but as they were impossible to buy in our little town, our fellow Chinese friends would come over and cut some for their own households.

[Kerry Beal]

Here is my favourite use of garlic chives -

Chinese Garlic Chive dim sum

1 cup wheat starch

1 cup boiling water

vegetable oil

1 pound ground pork

1 bunch garlic chives

minced garlic

salt, pepper, soy, oyster sauce (3-4 tbsp)

cornstarch slurry

1. Fry pork in a bit of oil with garlic until brown, Add garlic chives and cook until they wilt. Season with oyster sauce and thicken with cornstarch slurry.

2. add boiling water to starch while stirring, knead, add oil to get smooth texture.

3. 1 1/2 inch balls, roll out 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Place spoonful of filling in center, pinch into desired shape. Put each on a bit of parchment, Steam 10 minutes, then brown on one side PRN.

[TeakettleSlim]

Thank you, everyone! I'll definitely be trying some of these...meatballs and dumplings definitely on the menu now! Got a question about the pesto, heidih. Have you used them in this way yourself? Incredulous tone because last year I tried making a soup with them, and they were too fibrous to work in that application. Not tough, but...well, there were long fibers that the blender couldn't blend away. (Hence my thinking of papermaking).

[heidih]

Got a question about the pesto, heidih. Have you used them in this way yourself? Incredulous tone because last year I tried making a soup with them, and they were too fibrous to work in that application. Not tough, but...well, there were long fibers that the blender couldn't blend away. (Hence my thinking of papermaking).

It has been a while, and perhaps mine were at a younger stage, but yes. Also I used a food processor and chopped them into maybe 4 inch lengths so they did not just wind themselves around the blade. I think the FP chops more than a blender.