Lovage

Levisticum officinale

Large, elegant and green, lovage seems to be little known to gardeners. I discovered this perennial in my neighbourhood’s community garden a few years ago. I had never seen this plant, and it was an experienced gardener who introduced me to the many facets of lovage. Since then, I have become a big fan. I grow two plants in my garden and it has a choice place in my collection of fine herbs.

Lovage belongs to the Apiaceae family. Its soft green foliage resembles that of celery, as are its flavour and, but with a slight pepperiness. It can be used in addition to – or even instead of – celery in most recipes, though sparingly since its flavour is much more pronounced than its cousin.

One of its features is that it dries easily: simply suspend a bouquet upside down in a dark, dry spot and its leaves will soon be dry enough to crumble between your fingers (if leaves turn yellow, the environment is too humid). Even dried, it will retain excellent aromatic qualities.

I use it in the same way as a bay leaf: when I make my soups or broths, I immerse two or three entire leaves, then remove them once the cooking is complete. It’s also possible to use the leaves as herbs, just as is done with basil. A fresh leaves chopped (or dried onces crushed between your fingers) and spread in an omelette will give a different flavor to your meal. Or what about using its stem as straw in the famous Bloody Mary! But beware: in witchcraft, lovage was among the many love potions ingredients (hence its name!) – like celery, this herb is supposed to stimulate the libido. So be careful how you use it... In popular belief, its strong smell was also used to drive rats out of the pantry. I have not tested this last option, so I’ll leave you to assess its effectiveness yourself.

When the plant flowers, it attracts a host of pollinators. A little later in the season, it provides a multitude of celery-flavoured seeds, with a little extra spice and sweetness. Try substituting celery seeds in pickles!

But the greatest value of lovage for me is economic: in winter, in our region, vegetables like celery are very expensive, and its eating quality is poor. However, many traditional recipes from chicken pot pie to tourtière to turkey stuffing call for celery! The lovage that I’ve dried the previous autumn costs me nothing, and my dishes are deliciously flavoured all the same!

Here are a few possible uses:

• In a tomato soup, add 3 full leaves per litre of liquid, replacing celery
• In a tomato salad, add 2 or 3 leaves finely chopped lovage for every 600 gr of fresh, sliced tomatoes In tomato juice or Bloody Caesar, add 1/2 teaspoon of dried lovage
• To make lovage salt: combine 40g of dried lovage and 60g salt. Mix in a coffee grinder or blender and pass through a sieve.

Finally, lovage is not recommended for pregnant women and people with kidney failure. For the rest of the population, bon appétit!

~Lyne Bellemare

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