Lovage

[Binky Profile]

This is a new taste for me.

We went to the Essex Food Festival today (at the lovely Cressing Temple where Knights Templar built huge barns, perfect for food and drink shows). One of the exhibitors was British Herbs, and the lady there had two items to taste : a salsa made with lovage and a pesto made with sorrel. Both were delicious.

We bought a lovage plant in order to grow our own, never having had much luck with basil as the slugs eat it, herb lady said slugs don't eat lovage.

I shall be looking for recipes using lovage when the plant grows, somif anyone has a favourite, do let me know.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’m mainly familiar with lovage as a cordial made by Phillips of Bristol

I worked in a pub in Hampshire occasionally ca 1970 and the old ladies who “didn’t really drink alcohol” would have a brandy and lovage to “ease chestiness”

https://www.masterofmalt.com/syrups-and-cordials/phillips-of-bristol/phillips-of-bristol-lovage-old-english-alcoholic-cordial-syrups-and-cordials/

Never really cooked with it though I did grow it as something tall at the back of a herb bed. It tends to self seed.

Never heard of Cressing Temple, will look it up

[Alexandria Profile]

Binky & Sue,

Lovage:

This herb has a "fennel anise" and celery bouquet which I am sure you both know ..

It is sometimes used in vegetarian styled lentils instead of bayleaf and also it is used in egg salad or potato salad ..

Though I have never seen it here, I have read about it ..

The Guardian ( Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall ) and The B.B.C. Food Forum have quite a bit of info on it:

Https://www.bbc.com/food/lovage

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Ah, ha!

We used to have a herbarium near here with every herb seed and pot you could imagine. It closed sadly. But I grew all of the following, for one recipe.
Tony always asked for a Frankfurter Green Sauce dish he ate whilst living in Germany - I've talked about it before. 7 herbs. Not 8, not 6.
There are two ways, traditional, with lovage, sorrel, pimpernel, salad burnett, lemon balm, borage, (plus parsley, or chives).

Plus, one boiled egg, lemon juice, a little mustard, creme fraiche, mayonnaise. Hand chopped with a knife.

Serve with ham, and boiled potatoes.

The modern, which I prefer, is basil, parsley, dill, tarragon, cress, chives, chervil

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil, The Painter,

I think the " 7 Herb Green Sauce" (modern with Genovese Basil & Chervil) would go wonderfully with vegetable Crudities

or a simple white fish ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

It's a goodly, and quite different sauce, to have in your repertoire, Member 461.
There are certain things it goes with, Uschi knows the handling. Eggs, terrific. If I have a big family group of people, I'll make a platter, with eggs - like you would eggs mayonnaise.

An utter crowd pleaser.

It goes with cooked ham, and roast pork. Served with french fries.

But it's wrong with chicken or lamb. Not sure about fish really, it's pretty intense you see.

Give it a go one day, you'll surprise your family with it. Has to be 7 herbs tho, or you won't get the complexity

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Binky, I have what is now a large Lovage plant growing in a large pot outside along with fennel & chives - they get along well together - it's about 4-5yrs old now, dies down & reliably comes back up again - doesn't need much attention apart from watering. It does taste of celery, I mostly use it chopped over plain boiled new potatoes, it really is lovely with them - The Lushly likes it too which is odd as he hates celery.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I have a lovage bush too. It smells sensational. Lovage soup is really nice, loads of recipes out there.

It may not attract slugs but towards the end of the season the baby snails love it.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Now there's a thought Pepper Pig - I haven't made soup with it, bet that's good - I'll give that a whirl this summer!

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil The Painter,

Definitely shall.

A couple of the herbs I need to purchase at the Farmer´s Market & the others grow on our terrace.

What are the measurements for each of the herbs for the " 7 Herb Green Dressing " ?

Have a lovely day.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

You'll be fine for chervil, Member 461.
Over here, it's difficult to come by.
On the other hand, borage grows wild on our local hillside - you win some you win some.

Go by 20g per herb for a large kilner jar of sauce.

Only use half of the tarragon. 10gs.

Plus one boiled egg, a cup of mayo, cup of cream fresh cream, half a crushed garlic but no more, 1 lemon juice, and a teaspoon of dijon.

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil, The Painter,

Thanks for the recipe ..

[Amyw Profile]

That does sound lovely Gil

[Luca Profile]

I can vouch for Gill's Frankfurter Green Sauce recipe. Absolutely delicious. I must make it again.

Some lovely ideas here.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thank you kindly.
I had a beautiful herb garden the year I grew the ingredients.
Which got a second prize in the Open Gardens event in the town that summer.

[Binky Profile]

I am not a gardener, and wondered how the green fingered posters grow their herbs. In pots, in window boxes, in raised beds, in a special 'herb garden' area, from seed, from bought plants??

[Joanbunting Profile]

I grow mine in pots, of varying sizes, on a three tier thing called an etager here. It's like a set of wrought iron steps. really. I have a tiny walled garden at the front which faces due South. The herbs are in the semi shade of the overhead vine in the summer because they don't like the full sun and heat. In the winter they get the sun so I can grow most things year round. There is also a creeping rosemary planted under the vine and a bay tree by the gate.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I grow herbs a number of ways. We've got thyme, fennel and golden marjoram self-seeding around the garden, plus a bit of lemon balm, which used to be everywhere. There are bushes of sage and rosemary in the garden and on the plot, a bay tree in a border and mint in a number of pots. Last year I bought a yellow-stickered pot of three different types of mint from Sainsbury's - £1.20 for three plants which I divided and are now flourishing. The sage, rosemary (and lavender) are propagated from cuttings to renew the stock. There's some parsley in a pot and coriander is sown in pots at intervals. So's rocket, but I prefer the self-set nasturtiums once they come on.


Lovage is a big plant. I've got a clump on the plot, several plants which grow head-high in the summer. This is rather more lovage than I need.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

All mine are currently in pots on my little roof terrace, though when I had access to a garden we had a bed of herbs

I decided to have a herb garden as the kitchen opens onto the roof terrace and I wanted something that would do well in pots and not require too much maintenance

I have a small bay tree that self seeded from my dad’s, which was itself a seedling he brought back from a family holiday in Italy

[kavey Profile Website]

I've hardly ever come across lovage, but must plant some in the garden and try!