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L OCAL LIVING


District


A big plant with an even bigger flavor a cook’s garden


by Barbara Damrosch When the herb garden starts


to wake up in spring, the bright green shoots of lovage are among the first signs of life. Lovage is a hardy perennial, able to take care of itself. Nothing bothers it, except for larvae of the beautiful swallowtail butterflies, which might nibble a few leaves but do little harm. In early to midsummer, bees flock to the greenish-yellow flowers — rounded umbels a bit like those of dill, but less dainty. In fact, “dainty” is a word you would never apply to lovage. Imagine a celery the size of a Christmas tree. My lovage plant stands about


seven feet tall, which is why I have only one of them. To my husband, this is one lovage plant too many. “You only need one leaf to flavor a dish,” he complains. The taste of the foliage is, admittedly, unsubtle — much like celery’s, but stronger. Nonetheless, it has its place in the kitchen. Early in the season, before bloom, it’s a bit milder and you can toss a handful of the leaves into a green salad. They are also good in soups, stews,


sauces and other cooked dishes, used the way you would celery. Even the hollow stems can be cooked, though I prefer the freshness of the leaves. Joshua McFadden, one of my


favorite young chefs, tells me, “I love to tear lovage up and throw it into a crab salad, or a potato salad. It adds a nice surprise with a burst of flavor.” He also makes a compound butter with it, to melt on lobster or fish. (I tried that with salmon recently and loved it.) His fiancee, Lydia Reissmueller, a mixologist who creates inspired cocktails from the garden, makes a simple syrup


with lovage for a “celery soda,” or a lovage-infused Prosecco. Lovage is not one of the


Mediterranean herbs, happiest in dry, lean earth. It loves the rich, organic, moisture-retentive soil of my garden. About now, the leaves are starting to yellow as the plant puts all its effort into making seeds. Gardeners who treasured the leaves above all would have cut it back at this point to encourage ones to grow. But by doing so they’d miss the chance to harvest the seeds. These, too, have a celery taste and aroma, and since lovage leaves do not dry very well, the


Lovage’s leaves taste like celery, but stronger.


seeds are an excellent medium for keeping the flavor year-round. When the tiny fruits start to open, cut bunches of the seed stalks and hang them upside down in a paper bag to collect the seeds. Dried and ground, they can be tossed into anything as a seasoning, and are a traditional addition to baked goods such as muffins, biscuits, cakes and breads. I also like the way lovage stands tall, as a vertical accent in the garden. Like the sunflowers I allow to bloom and wither in full view, it is a plant in decline, but with a clear statement of purpose, as goldfinches fatten themselves on the seeds. Herb gardens can be a little precious, with all those sweet, small-leaved mounds, an aesthetic to which this plant offers a resounding “No.”


localliving@washpost.com


Damrosch is a freelance writer and the author of “The Garden Primer.”


ON WASHINGTONPOST.COM ISTOCKPHOTO


washingtonpost.com/vegetable gardens.


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Read more about growing your own food at www.


tip of the week


7 DC


ISTOCKPHOTO


Examine woody plants for bagworms, which are now active and feeding. The caterpillars encase themselves in pendant cocoons camouflaged with dried plant material. The pests can be treated with a biological spray called Bt before they grow too large. They are particularly drawn to conifers, especially Leyland cypress and arborvitae, and can do major damage if there are lots of them.


— Adrian Higgins ON WASHINGTONPOST.COM


Mondays at www.washingtonpost. com/allwecaneat.


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Find more about gardening online Read monthly tips (for July, prevent plant mildew fungus and fertilize container plants) and watch how-to gardening videos at www.washingtonpost.com/home.


Higgins blogs about vegetable gardening


THE WASHINGTON POST • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010


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