As I write, there is still a mound of dirty snow in the far corner of our garden. That's the cold zone. On the other side, at the base of a sunny southwest wall, spring has sprung with its first glorious flavour - chives. I love chives. The flavour is a mix of onion and garlic.
Chives look like long grass and have a little of the sweetness of young grass.
This makes them ideal for salads. I also like them because I can enjoy them fresh. They don't have the strong acidity of fresh garlic or the harsh bite of a raw onion. Garlic and onion become mellower and sweeter as they are cooked, but chives taste great just clipped from the garden. Chives are part of the onion family.