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1Chive Leaves and Flowers
Chives are a popular herb used in European cookery but there is also an Asian variety of Chive called Chinese Chives. They are the smallest and most delicate member of the onion family.
They are hardy and fast growing and are cultivated for their long slender leaves that are hollow inside but did you know
the flowers can be eaten too?
Most children can tolerate the taste of chives as they have a mild flavour similar to baby spring onions or young leeks.
They are a great herb as they can be used in many different dishes. Chives can be cut or snipped by children to use in things such as salad dressings, salads, herb butters, omelettes and potato dishes. Or they can simply add them to cheese on toast or in a cheese sandwich. They are useful because fresh chives can be added by children to any dish just before serving.
Chives are one of the richest sources of vitamin K and also contain other essential vitamins such as vitamin A and C so are beneficial for children to eat.
Quick and simple:
Try combining Cream Cheese and Chives to use as a spread on a base.
Or why not simply get your child to pull the purple flower heads apart and mix them into a soft cheese for a pretty and tasty spread?
Pitta bread is ideal as a base for the spread or choose your child’s favourite healthy bread. Fill with sliced vegetables such as carrots, peppers or cucumber for a healthy snack. Other bases could be jacket potatoes or slices of apple.
You can also use the flowers as a garnish or to add a delicate onion flavour and colour into dishes such as mashed potato. Sometimes adding the colour can help with fussy eaters.
Why chives are perfect:
- Perfect for little hands to pick and snip
- So easy for them to grow
- Entire plant is edible – making them safe
- Grow beautiful flowers – making them attractive
- Hardy and also grow back
- Require little maintenance – mainly watering which kids love to do
- Easy for kids to measure/observe their growth
- Fresh chives can be refrigerated for up to three days
- Perfect for child friendly recipes
- Children can add them to dishes just before serving
Child friendly recipes:
Cheese and Chive Breakfast Scones
Cheese and Chive Sandwiches (Heart – Shaped)
Check out other recipes on BBC Food – Chives
Popping back from #BloggerClubUK thank you for joining us, I hope to see you again this week. Love the decorated pot by the way 🙂 x
Mudpie Fridays recently posted…Monkey’s Birth Story
Thank you, Clare 🙂
Sara recently posted…Wraps – Reasons Why They Are Great For Kids
thanks for sharing such lovely ideas! we eat lots of chives but you’ve inspired me to get using some more and involving my toddler! #bloggerclubuk
Thank you! I hope you enjoy using them together 🙂
Sara recently posted…Wraps – Reasons Why They Are Great For Kids
I seem to always kill the chives, but you’ve convinced me to give it another go!
You definitely should – good luck 🙂
I had no idea the flowers for edible. Now, what is the difference between chives and what we call green onions in the US? Thanks for being part of #TwinklyTuesday.
Green onions are what we call spring onions in the UK. Chives have a much subtler flavour more like a baby spring onion. They are all part of the same family 🙂
Spot on – chives were the very first herb I learnt to grow as a child and also the first herb I knew I liked! Great advice #TwinklyTuesday
Thank you for your comment – my children love them!
These are fantastic recipe ideas, great post #busydoinglife
Thank you very much – I hope you enjoy trying some of them :-).
Love the recipe ideas – will try them with my kids 🙂 #BusyDoingLife
Thank you – I really hope you enjoy them 🙂
I love chives, so tasty! Great idea to put cream cheese & chives on potato. Now I’m hungry!! #busydoinglife x
We love them here too – so easy to use in recipes 🙂
I love the thought of doing aarden with my kids. This is great. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me blog hop. I hope you have enjoyed reading so many fab other blog posts and to see you again tomorrow for another great round of #sharewithme
Thanks Jenny – gardening indoors or out is such a great activity to do with children. Yes, it’s a great linky 🙂
Yum! Chives are delicious. I’m adding these to our list of herbs to grow in the next couple of weeks. Thanks so much for sharing at the Share With Me blog hop.
Thank you for reading – I hope you enjoy growing them and using them in tasty dishes 🙂
Nothing like growing your own veg and herbs to interest children in eating them and enjoying being outdoors, a double win! I’d love you to join me for on Country Kids if you get a chance.
Thank you, I will catch up at some point. Yes, a win, win as you say. I am fairly certain that involving children in the whole process encourages healthy eating and an interest in food generally. Thanks for reading 🙂
Mine would love this, will definitely be looking into growing some! Thanks for sharing in #KidsCorner x
Thanks for hosting. Great – would love to hear how you get on 🙂
My friends grow chives and everytime we visit, they pick them and eat them. We should give them a try as I think they’d like chives mixed with their cheese.
Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids
Thanks for hosting. It is fun growing and picking herbs. Hope they do if you give it a try 🙂
Thanks for sharing this. I am going to grow herbs but hadn’t considered chives but they look like something I would use a lot #letkidsbekids
I love this, what a clever idea! Will definitely be giving this a go ourselves. Visiting from #LetKidsBeKids x
Thank you! Hope you enjoy! Would love to hear how you get on 🙂
Think we will be giving this a go!!! 🙂 thank you for sharing #ToddlerApprovedTuesdays
Would love to know how you get on if you do – hope you all enjoy 🙂
Yum I love chives! My parents used to grow them when I was a kid and I used to love picking them and just chewing on the stems. I had no idea you could eat the flower though!? Great ideas! 🙂 #ToddlerApprovedTuesday
Thank you! I know, I didn’t know about the blossoms until a few years ago. We love chives here too 🙂