Survivor Chives and Garlic. We love the spring herbs because they arrive with their bright flavors despite wild weather fluctuations. These chives and the garlic below just survived a surprise storm that dumped 14″ of snow and dropped temperatures to 9 degrees!

What a wonderfully versatile sauce!  Use it over baked potatoes; to top chicken, fish or pork; over pasta with vegetables; as a condiment to perk up soup; as a salad dressing; or as a sauce for cooked vegetables (like carrots.)  

Spring Garlic-Chive Sauce

Combine in the cup of an immersion blender and process a minute to combine:

• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate (or other fruit puree, like pear or peach)
• 2 Tbsp. high quality olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. honey mustard
• 1-2 shakes cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
• ¼ tsp. sea salt, more or less, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add to lemon-oil mixture and process again to make a thick dressing with a little texture:

• 1/2 to 1 cup roughly sliced chives (about 3/4 to 1½ oz.), more or less to taste
• ¼ to ½ cup roughly sliced green garlic shoots (from about 4-5 medium shoots), more or less to taste.

Green Garlics rising up from the last year’s fallen leaves.

Use as is for a tangy, sharp flavor.  For a milder flavor, use the smaller amounts of herbs, simmer in a small saucepan for a couple minutes, and/or add a little more apple juice concentrate.