Cooking with Lovage.

- LovageThe Epicentre:
Cooking with Lovage
Ancient Greeks and Romans commonly used the seeds, leaves, and roots in their cooking.
Today, lovage is a favorite flavoring in Britain and southeastern Europe.
It is eaten cooked or raw.

The leaves are used in soups, stocks, flavored vinegars, pickles, stews, and salads.
In Italy, lovage is used with oregano and garlic for tomato sauces.

The seeds are sprinkled over salads and mashed potatoes and are crushed for breads, pastries, biscuits, and cheeses.

The stems and stalks are chopped for use in sauces and stews, while the crystallized leaves and stems are used for decorating cakes.

The roots are peeled to remove the bitter skin and are then used as a vegetable or are pickled.
Add the chopped leaves to casseroles for an really interesting flavor.

The anise, celery flavor of the lovage works really well.
Lovage is great when cooking lentils- sweat a few leaves with onions , then let the lentils cook slowly with the lovage.
Pesto is traditionally made with basil, but can be made with most herbs.
Try it using sorrel and lovage.
Lovage can be used on a pizza topping or add a handful of chopped lovage on pasta.
Lovage is excellent with fish, such as salmon.
Chop the leaves in a fresh leaf and herb salad- dress with your favorite dressing.
Lovage soup is delicious.
Leek and lovage soup really work well together.

- Lovage recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Life and style | The Guardian