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Hardy perennial lovage is delicious in soups, stuffings and fritters
In southern and eastern European countries, where it has long been cultivated, lovage is often referred to as “the gravy herb” for its affinity to dishes like roast chicken and soup.Lovage is delicious in soups. For this simple recipe, you can combine lovage, asparagus, potatoes and any other herbs you like, along with stock, salt…
In southern and eastern European countries, where it has long been cultivated, lovage is often referred to as “the gravy herb” for its affinity to dishes like roast chicken and soup.
Lovage is one of the largest herbs in your garden, yet you may not even realize it's there.
A hardy perennial that easily grows to over six feet tall each summer, lovage resembles a pale, flat-leaf parsley — or leafy celery tops.
In southern and eastern European countries, where it has long been cultivated, lovage is often referred to as “the gravy herb” for its compatibility with dishes like roast chicken and soup.
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With a citrusy, celery-like flavour, it makes sense to stuff handfuls of lovage leaves into roast chickens and use it to flavour broths and gravies.
But when you consider the wide range of dishes that utilize celery and parsley and would benefit from a bit of citrus, lovage has huge culinary potential. The leaves can be added to salads and pastas, whizzed into sauces, dressings and pesto, or whole handfuls, with their stalks, can be used to make a bed under a fish filet before roasting or grilling.
Even lovage roots and seeds can be eaten. The seeds are often used as spices, with a flavour similar to fennel. And as a cool bonus, lovage stalks are hollow, so older, thicker ones can be cut and used as compostable straws — in a summer Caesar, it can be straw and garnish all in one.
Potato Greens Lovage Soup
All kinds of fresh or frozen garden greens can go into this soup, plus onions and herbs. If you like, swap cauliflower for the potato.
Ingredients:
canola, olive or other vegetable oil, for cooking
butter (optional)
1 small onion, a couple of shallots or a few green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed (or a chopped garlic scape)
a few asparagus stalks, chopped (optional)
1-2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
a handful or two of spinach, kale, chard or other greens
a handful of lovage leaves
other herbs, if you like (tarragon, basil, thyme, marjoram—optional)
salt
3-4 cups (1 litre) chicken or vegetable stock
a splash of cream (optional)
Preparation:
Set a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil and a dab of butter, if you like. Cook the onion for a few minutes, until soft. Add the garlic clove and cook for another minute.
Add the asparagus, potatoes, greens, lovage and any other herbs you like, along with the stock and a big pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potato is very soft.
Add a splash of cream, if you like, and puree right in the pot using a hand-held immersion blender. Taste and add more salt, if it needs it.
Serves about 4.
Zucchini Lovage Fritters
Feel free to add all kinds of fresh herbs, particularly the leafy green kind, like parsley or cilantro in these fritters.
Measurements don't need to be precise — you need just enough egg and flour to help the veggies and herbs hold together in the pan. You can also eyeball it with the sauce.
A clove of garlic and pinch of salt stirred into plain yogurt is delicious, and you could stir in a spoonful of tahini and/or squeeze of lemon, if you have it.
Ingredients:
1 small zucchini, coarsely grated
a handful of lovage leaves, chopped
a few green onions or a small bundle of chives, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
canola or other vegetable oil, for cooking
Yogurt-tahini sauce:
plain yogurt
tahini
a garlic clove, crushed
a squeeze of lemon
salt
In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, lovage and onions; add the egg and flour, season with salt and pepper and stir until everything is well combined. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a generous drizzle of oil.
Drop a few spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot pan and flatten them with the back of the spoon. Cook for about a minute, until crisp and golden on the bottom, then flip and cook until golden on the other side. Top with yogurt-tahini sauce.
To make the sauce, stir together the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon and salt. It could be all yogurt, or half and half, or mostly yogurt or tahini. Adjust everything else according to your taste. If you let it sit in the fridge for a day or so, the garlicky flavour will intensify.
Serves 4.
Listen to Julie's full segment on the Calgary Eyeopener here:
Everyone knows the best meals are made with love. Julie van Rosendaal on cooking with lovage. 7:57
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