Lovage?

[katynewbie]

Have been offered some. Of course I said yes!! What can I do with it? Checked the search bit on here and people were talking about leaf celery...is that the same thing? Culinary uses please? Growing habit? Where does it go crop rotation-wise?

Oooh questions questions!!

Help!!

[katynewbie]

[euronerd]

Hi katy, yes it does taste a bit like celery, but more subtle. It was just made to go in white sauces such as cauli cheese and pasta coatings etc, and tomato sauces. Doesn't need much though. If you find you like it, you can chop and freeze the leaves just like parsley and coriander. Rotation, mine is static next to the comfrey, for no reason in particular. It dies right back after summer, then right at this moment is reappearing. It was about 6ft tall last year and seems to put on about six inches a year if I let it. No special care needed but they say it likes it if you wee on it. :o

Geoff.

[philcooper]

They don't rotate they stay where they are and get bigger, as Geoff says - mine's 8' plus.

It has large flat flowers (umbelliferous!) that turn into seed heads that feed the birds in the early part of the winter.

Given the size they take up compared with the amount of edible produce that can't be considered "cost effective" but if you have the space they are very attractive (if you like that sort of thing)

Phil

[CityChick]

It will by my first year growing it.  Got some seeds in a seed swap.  Thought they smelled really delicious in a very savoury kinda way...

This is what my 2 herb books say about using it:

Seeds - crushed, in/on breads and pastries.  Sprinkled on salads, rice or over mashed potatoes.

Leaves - the young growth is best, tends to be more bitter after it has flowered. Better to freeze than dry, if storing.  Used to flavour soups, stews and stocks.  Also add fresh, young leaves to salads and rub on chicken or around a salad bowl.  Can be used as a vegetable, in a simillar way to spinach, using leaves and stems.  Leaves can be made into a herbal tea, said to taste like yeast extract broth.

Rootstock - can be used as a vegetable in casseroles if the bitter skin is removed (dig 2nd and 3rd year roots, before flowers open).

Can be blanched in spring: use 4" long blanched stems raw, dressed with oil and vinegar.

Medicinally it has been used as a remedy for digestive difficulties, gastric catarrh and flatulence.  Hmmm, I wonder... lovage and jerusalem artichoke soup anyone? ::) ;D

The books have some recipes too: lovage soup, lovage and carrot salad and lovage and lentil roulade, though obviously not tried any yet.

Lovage leaves also have a deodorising and antiseptic effect and can also be used in baths or home made skin preparations.

[tim]

Lovely stuff!

But I would recommend splitting it up every year or so - it crowds itself out.

[katynewbie]

;D

Sounds an all round good thing to have!! As I also have J Artichokes the soup sound a good idea!!!

;)

[philcooper]

...... Can be used as a vegetable, in a simillar way to spinach, using leaves and stems.  .....

Are there any slightly unusual leaf vegetables that can't "be used like spinach"?

It seem to be the standard fallback when trying to find uses for otherwise not very useful veg.

Having said that, lovage is good value, if only for its looks - following your bit on it being celery-like I used young stems instead of celery in Spaghetti Bolognase last night - it worked well - and didn't taste anything like spinach  ;)

Phil

[tim]

PS - pick it very young. And keep picking if you want it under control.

[CityChick]

...and it didn't taste anything like spinach...

Ooops, sorry :-[ I didn't mean to imply it tasted like spinach.  The full bit in the book was referring to cooking technique, which was what I meant... ie that it could also be used like a leafy green veg, aswell as using it in small amount as a herb for added flavour.

[philcooper]

It was the books I was having a go at, not you  ;)

Phil

[euronerd]

Some good tips there CityChick. tim's right of course about the picking. I'll have to try the herbal tea - it's about the only thing I haven't tried. I hope you get on well with it. Wouldn't be without mine.

Geoff.

[tim]

Coming along!

[cardinalflower]

This stuff sounds fab! If anyone is splitting any i'll have some  :D
Got bits n bobs of seeds to swap in return.

CF x

[CityChick]

I've got some seed (got oodles in a seed swap on another forum).  If you're interested PM me.  Although to be honest I have no idea which is the best way to propagate it ie seeds or splitting a clump :-[  My herb books lists both ways.... Oh this is sad: I've just realised I know the page number to look up now without looking in the index  ::) ;D

Maybe someone who already grows it can say?

PS  Tim, that looks great :D  Does it always have purple stems?  Or only when it first comes through?  Or is that just a trick of the light? (No one told me it was pretty as well! ;))

[katynewbie]

:o

Great pic Tim...found something that looked like that when digging over my spud bed. It was a tuber with reddish stems coming out of it. Planted it somewhere else cos I didnt know what it was! Maybe I already have some lovage without knowing it!! lol

;)

[tim]

Just the young shoots, Chick.

[euronerd]

Nice tim. Mine just appeared above ground about three days ago (Yorks).

Geoff.