Lovage Part 2 recipes

Now onto some recipes to give you ideas but you could use Lovage anywhere you would use celery or parsley. I love to add it to my soups. It seems to give them a bit more body too.

APPLE LOVAGE CHUTNEY
6 cups apples peeled cored and chopped

1 cup lovage fresh

1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped

1 medium tomato peeled and chopped

1 medium tomato green, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup ginger root peeled and minced

1 cup brown sugar, light packed

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

Combine all ingredients in non-reactive pan.Bring to boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly.Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 45mins, or until thickened.Prepare jars, lids and boiling water bath.Fill jars with hot mixture, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims with clean towel and attach lids securely.Place jars in boiling water bath, and when the water returns to the boil, process for 15 min. Prep: 20 Cook: 60 Total: 80 Yield: 6 half-pints

CORN ON THE COB WITH LOVAGE BUTTER

4 husked ears of corn on the cob

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of shreded Lovage

Salt & Pepper to taste

Steam or boil the corn until cooked through. Melt the butter in a pan and add the salt, pepper, and Lovage. Heat gently until Lovage is tender, 3-5 minutes. Pour over corn and serve hot.

PEAS AND CARROTS WITH LOVAGE

1 pound of fresh or frozen peas

1 1/2 pounds of baby carrots - sliced

2 tablespoons of chopped Lovage

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 tablespoons of regular yogurt

1 teaspoon of mustard

Combine the peas and carrots and steam for 10-15 minutes. Set aside. Mix the other ingredients thoroughly, then add the peas and carrots. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely, and serve as a cool and refreshing side dish.

Lovage Butter Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of minced lovage

Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a small pan and add the salt, pepper, and lovage. Heat gently for 3-5 minutes. Serve over vegetables.

EGG SALAD WITH HERBS

6 large eggs

3 green onions thinly sliced

2 tsp. minced lovage

2 tsp. minced parsley

1 tablespoon snipped chives

1 cup light or regular mayonnaise

to taste salt and pepper (optional)

Hard boil the eggs, them place in a bowl of cold water to cool. Peel them, place in bowl and mash. Add the green onions and herbs, then add chives, mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on bread or on a bed of lettuce.

POTATO AND LOVAGE SOUP

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 cups water

Approx. 1 1/4 cups milk

3 Tbsp. minced fresh lovage plus garnish

salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and potatoes. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and continue simmering until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Puree the cooled mixture in a food processor or blender. Place into a clean pan and stir in the lovage and milk slowly, stopping when you feel it's the right thickness. Heat through, and serve with a garnish lovage leaves. Makes 4 servings.

LOVAGE VINEGAR

You will need: 1 quart cider vinegar 2 large sprigs lovage Place into a bottle or jar with a lid. Keep in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks. Use in dressings, or stews.

LOVAGE OIL

10-lovage leaves

2 shallots

1-2 tb madagascar pepper

Olive oil

Rinse the lovage leaves and chop the shallots finely. Put lovage, onions and pepper in a jar and pour over the oil. Let the oil seep for 3-4 days. The oil is particularly good when frying fish and pork, but it can also be used in marinades, dressings etc.

HALIBUT WITH APPLE, LEEK and LOVAGE RAGOUT

Leek, 1 large or 2 medium or 3-4 small

Butter, 1 tablespoon

Dry white wine 1/2 cup

Tart apple (I use granny smith) 1 large or 2 small

Apple cider or juice., 3/4 cup
Lovage fresh, chopped 2 tablespoons

Vinegar (mild and pale - white wine, sherry, rice) 1 tablespoon

Salt 1/4 teaspoon

Pepper to taste

Halibut (or other whitefish) 1/2 - 3/4 pound

Clean and julienne just the white part of the leek . (Save the green part of the leek for another use.) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and start to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Add the apple cider and continue cooking until liquid is reduced to about 25% of initial volume. (This is usually about the time the tops of the leeks are exposed above the liquid.) Add the diced apples,lovage, vinegar, salt and a grind or two of pepper and cook, stirring often, for another minute. Remove from heat. (You can prepare this ahead to the point and store the ragout in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Cut fish into individual portions and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour ragout over the top of the fish and cover the dish with a lid (or parchment) and bake in a preheated 425° oven until the fish is firm and milky, the center is barely translucent and the flesh flakes with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Note: Can make this with pork chops, brown one side of the chop on the stove before baking it in the oven as described for the fish.

Lovage Part 1

I used to grow lovage in my garden. Its not an herb most know about, its an old fashioned one. But I think its time we brought it back, its very tasty. It reminds me of parsley and celery mixed so you can use it in its place. It is stronger tho so you don't need much. I havent had a chance to plant one here at this house, seems every time I plant things if its not a huge plant the gardeners men always rip it out. Ive lost fuchsia and violets and even an hydrangea that way, ticks me off. So since I'm moving I stopped planting even tho my fingers are itching to do it. I intend to plant one tho once I get to Oregon. For now I buy dried from Mountain Rose Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/l.php This is the only place I have ever found dried lovage at.

Lovage grows huge so if you find a plant put it at the back of your flower bed or garden. I'm 5ft 2in and it towered over me. Lovage is considered a companion plant; much as borage helps protect almost all plants from pests, so lovage is thought to improve the health of almost all plants.

Young plants should be set out at least 2 feet apart in moist, fertile soil. Lovage prefers full sun but will grow in partial shade. In very hot locations some shade is indispensable. Remember that lovage shares celery's intolerance of dry conditions. Heavy mulching with hay or straw is recommended to conserve moisture. It also encourages earthworms, which digest the mulch, increasing the calcium supply. Lovage responds well to periodic applications of fish emulsion. Prematurely yellow leaves are a signal that the herb suffers from insufficient nutrients, insufficient water or both.

A contented plant grows glossy green leaves on hollow, ribbed, 2-foot stems. In June or July a flower stalk emerges from the center of the clump to stand 6 or 7 feet tall. Small yellow flowers in bundles of umbels ripen to brownish seeds much loved by goldfinches. If you want more leaf and less height, cut back the flower stalk. A more compact plant results, but you'll have no seeds for breads, biscuits and birds. Lovage is hardy to Zone 3; it dies to the ground in winter and returns with vigor the following spring.

Every part of the lovage plant is useful: the leaves are a versatile culinary herb, the ground seeds are an aromatic substitute for pepper, the stems may be eaten as a vegetable, and the root makes a tonic tea. Herb gardeners in the Middle Ages grew lovage as a matter of course; it figured in countless folk remedies for everything from pinkeye to kidney stones. They also put it in love potions to ensure fidelity and in bath water as a deodorant. Today, though its bed and bath applications have been abandoned almost entirely, lovage still makes important contributions in the kitchen. The flavor of its leaves is usually and accurately compared to celery and parsley. But lovage has an underlying taste that's warmer and more complex, hinting at the spice blends of Indian cooking. Lovage belongs in potato salads and green salads, with tuna and in turkey dressing, in soup stock, vegetable sauces, meat pies and, best of all, on BLTs -- L for lovage.Lovage's unique flavor is complementary to sloppy Joes, meat loaf, curries and Waldorf salad. Diners notice a difference and ask, "What's in this?" When cooking with lovage, use a light hand; too much of it will overwhelm neighboring flavors.

In Germany and Holland, one of the common names of Lovage is Maggikraut (German) or Maggiplant (Dutch) because the plant's taste is reminiscent of Maggi soup seasoning.Today, lovage is still common in Southern and Central Europe, but it has not found many friends outside this region. Its characteristic flavor fits well to sour pickles and aromatic vinegars (see dill); furthermore, beef stock is commonly flavored with lovage leaves (see parsley on German versions of bouquet garni). In Germany, lovage is a popular flavoring for potato dishes. In Italy, lovage usage culminates in Liguria, where of old the spice is cultivated (see above). Lovage is chiefly needed for tomato sauces, often in combination with oregano; it may be efficiently combined with rue.

Botanical, Common name, Classification (order)Levisticum officinale Umbelliferae family
Area of Origin (native or introduced): Originally from the Mediterranean area, established centuries ago in Britain.

Use: leaves, stems, or seeds Culinary, decorative, and medicinal. grown for its roots, stems, leaves, and seeds

Culinary: Leaves and stems in herbal vinegars. Fresh leaves and stems can be used in salads, Fresh or dried leaves can be added to soups. Whole or ground seeds flavor pickling brines, cheese spreads, dressings, sauces, and breads.

Medicinally :Lovage was traditionally chewed (the seed) to aid digestion and relieve flatulence. Lovage leaves have a deodorizing and antiseptic effect on the skin and thus has been used in shoes to relieve tired feet. Lovage is used to reduce water retention and should be avoided by people with kidney concerns .