Chives and Spring Rolls

The chives are blooming!  These pretty wild specimens I moved into my garden seem to be doing a good job deterring seed bugs and slugs from my strawberries (in foreground).  But they are so much more...  As I write this, I have 15 flower heads soaking in white vinegar to use in future recipes and dressings.  It's easy: Take a nice glass bottle – these I salvaged from grenadine syrup, a fancy olive oil, and a second-hand shop.  

  

Wash and dry the bottle and keep warm.  Fill bottle with white vinegar to measure, then heat vinegar to just under boiling.  Stuff bottle with flower heads, then slowly add warmed vinegar.  Seal tightly, then let infuse at least two weeks.  Use on fish, in dressings, or to make sushi.

Meanwhile, those chive stems need not go to waste!  Chop them and use in dressings, on salads, fish, eggs, or the following recipe for spring rolls:

Gluten-Free/Vegan and Wild Option

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Spring Rolls

Taste of Vietnam

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2 oz. rice vermicelli

8 chinese cabbage leaves

16 mint leaves, plus garnish

3 tbs. cilantro

3 (wild) chive stems

1 carrot, grated

2 radish, grated

1 stalk of rhubarb, sliced fine

2 tsp. white sugar

2 tbs. white vinegar

1 cup small local cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, chopped (optional)

8-10 rice wrappers

Chop cabbage, herbs, and scallions fine.  Combine with other vegetables, sugar, and vinegar.  Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, and add rice vermicelli until soft, about 8 minutes.  Drain, cool with cold water, and drain again.  Cut into inch-length pieces using kitchen shears.  Mix well with vegetables (and shrimp, if using).   Soak rice wrappers one at a time for about 30 seconds.  Place about half a cup of mixture near top of the corner of the wrapper, fold over, and roll tightly.  Tuck in sides half-way through rolling, and roll until end.  Serve chilled, with mint leaves for garnish.   Makes 8-10 rolls.