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.
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.
Sound advice from one reader via email: “If one is dating anyone they both better eat the Garlic-Chive Sauce.” Thanks for bringing that critical piece of information to my attention–the sauce can be strong!