My Chive Flower Vinegar makes a delicious dressing!
In mid June, I preserved my abundant chive flowers in vinegar. Though my favourite dressing for leafy Spring greens is our traditional family prairie recipe, I prefer a more robust dressing with the sturdier mid-summer greens so was delighted to make a vinaigrette with my newly preserved Chive Flower Vinegar.
The colour is gorgeous, but the aroma is not as appealing: it smells like, well, Spring onions. Just not the aroma one expects from this kind of glorious hue.
Frankly, I was suprised that the colour was not a predominant aspect of the c=vinaigrette I made. I was hoping it would be; the dressing came together with the complexity of flavour from the Chive Flower Vinegar, but the colour did not hold its own. The ingredients are simple: Chive Flower Vinegar, a really good fruity extra virgin olive oil (from Tuscany), a hearty dollop of Dijon, and salt and pepper. I did emulsify the dressing in my Thermomix.
Then took my beloved little wooden garden gathering crate (that I proudly wrestled from a Calgary florest) and went gathering greens for our supper salad from our garden. Oh, what pleasure!
Heirloom Oak Leaf, all sorts of other greens, mature maché, lovely tender bulbous butter leaves, all colours, all kinds with spicy Nasturtiums, bright and juicy Nodding Onion Flowers and a few tart sorrel like Begonia petals. Yes! Brittany Watt taught me that Begonia petals are edible: citrus tart sour tang!
Thinly sliced onion is always a must.
I grew everything but the onion!
The Chive Flower Vinegar surveys the few florets left in my chive bed.
The dressing was bold with a lovely light allium scented background that made the Chive Vinegar preservation “effort” definitely worthwhile. Yum!
Chive Flower Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Chive Flower Vinegar
- 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like the fruity kinds)
- 1 heaping teaspoonful of DIjon mustard, or to taste
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Please all the ingredients into your Thermomix bowl, or a blender, except the oil and the salt and pepper
- Combine the ingredients, and turn the speed onto high, pouring the oil into the vinegar mixture in a very thin stream
- Taste; season with salt and pepper
- Toss greens well in the dressing and serve
Note: A little goes a long way
A very beautiful chive flowers vinegar!
Those flowers in the salad are just beyond beautiful! You couldn’t get more summery.
Have a fantastic weekend.
*kisses* HH
The colour is gorgeous Valerie and as you said we would expect the colout to hold up. It’s like when you purchase pasta in glorious vibrant colours and they cook up a dull grey hue:(
But the salad is still glorious with so many beautiful edible flowers.
What a stunning post from first to last. Those flowers are just gorgeous. This looks so delicious, and it is a yummy way to start my Sunday morning. I hope you have a beautiful day full of laughter and love, my friend!
I just ran across my chive blossom vinegar in the back of the frig yesterday and was thinking I needed to start using it. The dressing sounds great and I’d love that gathering basket myself!
What a gorgeous and colourful salad! I haven’t got a garden, but I am heading to the farmers’ market now to see what I can find.
I love your gardening crate!
What lovely, bright colours in your salad! Just beautiful!
Those are GORGEOUS vinegars, my friend. 🙂 Love the flowery-filled ones at the top. 🙂
Visually beautiful post. I’d love to try the chive vinegar.
The dressing with preserved chive flowers sounds incredible!
I love the flowered vinegar it looks so beautiful. They would make amazing presents. I wonder if they would turn the oil the same way if you cooked them or preserved for long time. It would probably have to be clear vegetable or sunflower oil, unless you can find almost clear olive oil. That would be a killer present… Pink Chive Infused Oil… not this is not amazing
Kathy,
I never thought of infusing the oil – and that is a great idea. Next year! Grape seed oil – or an olive oil… could try a little to see the colour that is created first. It would be a great experiment!
🙂
Valerie
Very beautiful salad and using homemade vinegar makes a huge difference! I just experienced this with my homemade raspberry vinegar.
Made this tonight. Absolutely awesome!! The whole family loved it. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Had volunteer chives growing and a lot in bloom, found this recipe at the perfect time.
Thrilled to hear this, Dorie!
Thank you!
Hugs,
Valerie
How to preserve dressing? How long will it keep? Does it need refrigerated?
It is a vinegar, Janice, so no need for refrigeration.
It keeps a very long time if you strain our the chive flowers.
The flowers will change colour over time, and with the flowers, best to be used within a few days, then strain and use the rest, as needed.
Hope this helps!
Thnaks