Healthiest Spices: Chives and Oregano

Metus dictum at tempor commodo

But herbs and spices do much more than delight our taste buds and jog our memories: They also provide a valuable array of health benefits. Here’s a look at two popular, nutritious herbs that can be added to a variety of dishes. Both are easy to grow at home and can readily be found at markets and grocery stores.

Chives

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) entered my life during my first round at college, on a study date with a fellow student. We were both struggling on a student budget, and salad bars were a huge phenomenon in the 1970s. I was a vegetarian, but adding herbs to vegetables was still new to me, so my food-savvy friend took charge of my plate. He added chives, a dash of cayenne, and ground pepper to a baked potato.

Wow!” I exclaimed after taking a bite bursting with flavor. My date smiled and quoted the well-known author Louisa May Alcott: “Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes.” These words resonated with me because of my time spent pinching pennies and eating potatoes and salads.

This flavorful herb has visited me again and again throughout the decades, like a long-lost love – a prodigal perfect plant to enhance simple dishes. Fresh chives (homegrown or from the organic produce aisle) are my favorite herb sprinkled over potato skins or salads made with baby spinach. Dried chives suffice on a solo baked potato with crucifers and a dollop of European-style butter. I’ve learned that a chiveless potato is like a slice of hot apple pie without a scoop of vanilla ice cream.