Here's a finishing touch you can add to any salad or burger patty to really jive up your health this summer: chives.

Those pungent, tender green shoots are packed with vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, and folic acid, according to Maoshing Ni, a doctor of Chinese medicine and author of "Second Spring."

Chives are used in many parts of the world to do more than spruce up the flavor of bland dishes. In traditional Chinese medicine, chives are used to relieve congestion, stomachaches, and even bad breath. They are also believed to help improve circulation - a nice bonus if you're prone to having cold hands and feet.

You can find chives year-round in the grocery store. And they're easy to add to all kinds of dishes. Chop them up and sprinkle them over salads or into stir-fries. Or try Mao's suggestion and mix them into ravioli fillings or homemade burger patties.

For a list of healthful (and we presume delicious) recipes you can head over to "EatingWell" magazine's Web site (eatingwell.com). There you'll find several recipes that showcase chives.