What to do with chive flowers (a quiet Italian kitchen ritual)

There is always a moment, in late spring, when you don’t quite know what to do with what grows. The usual recipes, or something new, something unexpected. Spring carries that desire for renewal, for small adventures: the temperature is perfect, the blooms invite us to follow their path, and a soft breeze reminds us that we were meant to change.

So when you notice those small, fluffy, lilac petals crowning the chive stems that so stubbornly resisted the cold, you can’t help but turn them into a ritual — something that honors their quiet strength and fleeting beauty.

You’ll remember this precise moment every time you pour a few drops of your creation over the many salads that the milder days will bring.

In Italy, dressing a salad is always a simple, delicate act. Nothing should overpower the vegetables, only accompany them — a note, here and there, gently guiding their original character across your palate, making it linger just a little longer.