Herb & Spice Companion

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
Dtp:VIVIAN Page:114

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

Dtp:VIVIAN Page:115

61264 - Herb and Spice Companion_001-145.indd 115 3/7/15 5:11 pm

(Text)

ExOTIC HERBS

• 115 –

Plant: Fresh seeds, seedlings, root divisions, or young

plants

Water: Often during seedling stage, but less often

once established

Harvest: Snip outermost stalks and leaves from the

base. For the seeds, wait until they dry completely and

turn brown, then use a bowl or paper bag to catch all

of them.

Care: Trim stalks to promote new growth with optimal flavor (old foliage becomes

too strong to eat). Cut the seed stalk to lengthen your leaf-and-stalk harvest, or let it

grow if harvesting the seeds. If you experience harsh winters, place mulch around the

plant to protect the roots.

Keep It Fresh

Lovage can be dried, but know that the

flavor becomes concentrated and even

more potent, so use with caution. It will

also hold up frozen (see directions on

pages 19–21).

In the Kitchen

Dishes: leaves and stems soups,

stews, braises, casseroles, pastas, salads,

dressings and marinades; seeds breads,

pickles, sauces

Prep: Use whole stalks (with leaves) to

flavor long-cooked dishes like roasts and

stews, or chop them up and add to cas-

seroles, pastas, stews, or rice.

Serve: The clean veggie flavor of lovage

goes remarkably well with potatoes,

tomatoes, and eggs: Try potato soups,

tomato-lovage frittatas and omelets,

and lovage Bloody Marys (just nix the

celery!). Place whole stalks in the pan with chicken or fish while cooking, or chop

and add to pastas, lentil stews, stuffings, and casseroles. Toss young leaves into sal-

ads, dressings, and slaws. Seeds can be baked into breads or used in pickling spices,

and even the roots can be cooked and eaten like a vegetable.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Celery leaves and
  seeds


• Angelica

PAIRINGS

Vegetables: asparagus, carrots,

cucumbers, eggplant, leeks,

lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas,

potatoes, shallots, tomatoes

Proteins: cheeses, chicken,

duck, eggs, fish and seafood,

lentils

Seasonings: bay leaf, capers,

celery seeds, chervil, chives,

fennel, garlic, lemon juice,

mustard, oregano, parsley,

pepper, sage, sorrel, tarragon,

thyme

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
Dtp:VIVIAN Page:114

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

Dtp:VIVIAN Page:115

61264 - Herb and Spice Companion_001-145.indd 115 3/7/15 5:12 pm