In an attempt to deepen my domestic diva-ness (HA!) I am growing a few goodies in an ugly, plastic, backyard container. Can I even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to look out my kitchen window and see the green lovelies happily hanging out in their new home? Okay, maybe it isn't that earth-shattering, but I'm sure I can be a LOT more verbal if I kill them all. So far so good, though, so you all are spared!
I have a small love affair with smallish tomatoes--I really don't care for the beefsteak varieties, and while I enjoy the grape tomatoes, they are a bit diminutive. No, I adore the Compari and Amorosa types. They are just big enough to slice for a sandwich without having to save a left-over tomato, and they are quick to slice and dice for salads and toppings. The plant I selected to grow is called a "patio" tomato...whatever that is! I just read the plant info and looked for size and these seemed closest to what I'm hoping to produce. Now I just have to wait until August to see these babies for myself! At least I HOPE to be harvesting tomatoes in August...
The tomatoes are growing upside down in that ugly container, so I chose to grow herbs in the top portion. If I have a small love affair with tomatoes then what I feel for fresh herbs is nothing short of lust. I love the fragrance, the color, the texture of fresh herbs! Once you use them in your cooking it's hard to shake something dry out of a bottle again. Sure, they take more time to prepare but it's worth it if you make time to do so. For my personal garden selection I have basil, flat-leaf parsley, and chives. Parsley has long been a go-to herb for me--I love it everything, nearly! Fresh parsley just rocks--what can I say? Basil is like a chorus of angels--amazing to behold and lovely to smell (I'm assuming heavenly angels would not be offensive to the nose!). If basil made noise it would probably be harp music. The fact that it's probably on the list of inflammatory foods my body does not like, well, I choose to ignore that.
So let me tell you about chives (see first photo above). What an underrated herb! I'm sure most people only have first-hand knowledge of the dried variety accompanying a baked potato in a restaurant. Let's face it--you read a recipe calling for chives and what do you do? You substitute green onions! My friend, it is so not the same. To steal an analogy from My Best Friend's Wedding, green onions are like Jello (no offense to either) and chives are like creme brulee. They are subtle, delicate, surprisingly flavorful, and add a beautiful green punch to a dish. You can snip them into small confetti-like pieces or go fancy and drape slender threads across a plate. I never felt much for chives--I have a bottle of said dried variety in my pantry and only chose to add the herb to my ugly garden container in hopes that it might offer natural pest control (knowing that onions and garlic can do that). But this past week my thinking has shifted. Maybe it's going out in the cool of the morning to snip a few leaves for my breakfast. Maybe it's the vibrant color (my favorite, by the way). Maybe it's simply my need to root for the underdog! Whatever the reason, I'm content with the joy of savoring this new addition to my cooking go-tos.
Here's what I've been enjoying at breakfast each day (courtesy of Clean Eating magazine):
1 slice whole wheat bread (or 1 English muffin or sandwich thin)
2 TBSP plain yogurt (I use Vegenaise since I cannot have yogurt and the goat/sheep/soy/coconut varieties are pricey)
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1/2 tsp basil (I've been using dried to stretch my current crop a bit for pasta sauce)
1 tsp olive oil (EVOO for those in the know!)
1 small tomato, sliced (or a scant handful of grape tomatoes, halved)
1 TBSP shredded cheese (I've used TJ's goat cheddar but lately I've been going fake with Daiya cheddar shreds--and I use both very sparingly)
chives (don't hold back here!)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Toast your bread choice to your liking, favoring a lighter toast since it will be going back under the broiler. Blend together the yogurt, mustard, evoo, and basil to make a spread (feel free to adjust the measurements to your liking--I rarely measure anything except in baking). Add 1 TBSP of spread to toast, reserving the rest for tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day if you are like me and make too much). Top with tomatoes (I season here with the salt & pepper), cheese, and FRESH chives. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Lately I've also added about 1 tsp of bacon bits (the real kind, haha!)...oh yes, I went there! (Sorry, Clean Eating mag! I love you but couldn't resist!)
While outside snipping fresh chives the other morning I saw this...
...and this...
...and I just had to share! And here is what we had for dinner tonight--using all 3 herbs, I might add. (Excuse the horrible lighting. I was too hungry to care!)
On a side note, I also added eggplant to my little garden. I will extol it's virtues if and when (a) it grows, and (b) I figure out what to do with it!
