Chive blossoms and kumquats

I didn't plan well.  Right now we are not getting much veggies from the garden other than the perennial herbs.  Even the peas are dead (from the heat wave we had last week).  But, I still managed to gather a few things from the garden.

There are plenty of chives blossoms in the garden at the moment.  I've used stalks of garlic chive blossoms (before the blossoms open) in asian cookings, but I'd never eaten the blossom itself before.  I don't know why but I thought chive blossoms would be tasteless or have a floral scent.  I snipped a blossom off and took a bite, and it tasted like, well, chives.

First I used it as a garnish for an appetizer dish.  I simply boiled and strained some seaweeds and clear noodles (they are also called glass noodles, bean threads, mung bean vermicelli...).  Then, I mixed in a little bit of salt, pure sesame oil, chive blossoms, and thin threads of ginger.  This dish can be served warm or cold.  These delicate lilac flowers really add a nice touch of color and flavor to the dish.

I also made a quick omelet with the recipe here.  All I used was chive blossoms, thyme, and sliced mushrooms.  It was satisfying and delicious.

Another recipe I want to try is Villager's chive blossom vinegar.  I don't have white wine vinegar.  I wonder if it works with rice vinegar, too.  Maybe I'll give it a try if I can find a glass jar.

I was delighted to find some kumquats still hanging nicely on the trees.  We harvested some back in February and March then we kind of forgot about them.  I thought they would have rotted or dried by now.  I was surprised that the fruits have not turned tough or dry.

I decided to make some sweet treats with Thomas' recipe that I've been wanting to try.  I didn't roll them in sugar, because there was the right amount of tanginess and sweetness after they were simmered in the syrup.  They were so addicting that we finished them before I had a chance to dip them in chocolate.  There are still some kumquats left on the trees.  Maybe I'll make another batch of these or try making some kumquat preserves.