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June 06, 2010

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astrofiammante

devi sapere che due mesi fa ho comprato un sacchettino di levistico, senza sapere cosa fosse..... sai come succede quando ti prende quel momento di curiosità difficile da frenare ;-)) l'ho messo in dispensa in attesa di saperne di più.....e me ne ricordo ora che lo vedo qui da te....magari mi sai dire anche per cosa si usa e che semi sono ^________^

Anh

I have never tasted this herb before! Interesting!

Ivy

Simona this is wonderful. I google searched this plant and it grows in Greece. It is called "levistiko" but seems it grows only in the North, so I have never come across to it.

Ivy

Simona this is wonderful. I google searched this plant and it grows in Greece. It is called "levistiko" but seems it grows only in the North, so I have never come across to it.

Peter

Simona, your chevre with lovage sounds lovely...I have yet to see it here but I'll be on the lookout for it. Is it true celery leaves could be used instead?

Paz

I never heard of lovage, too. What a nice-sounding combination with your chevre. I like the way it looks spread on the bread slices. Delicious!

Paz

Simona Carini

Ciao Astro. Non ho ben capito dal tuo commento se hai comprato le foglie fresche o i semi. Questa pagina ha qualche nota sul levistico (o sedano di monte). Non ho mai provato ad usare i semi, ma se lo faccio, scrivero' un post. Come pianta mi sembra resistente e secondo me vale la pena piantarla.

Hi Anh. Based on what I read, it is difficult to find fresh lovage leaves in the stores, so the way to ensure a supply is by planting some. My specimen proved to be a strong plant, surviving a pretty intense, wet winter.

Ciao Ivy. The Greek name is so similar to the Italian one. I have actually never seen it in Italy, so I am wondering what is the area of diffusion in Europe.

Ciao Peter. Lovage is indeed related to celery. In terms of flavor, I like the way Deborah Madison describes is in the article I referenced above: Actually, a blend of parsley and celery leaf almost describes the flavor of lovage — it’s not quite one, not quite the other, but reminiscent of both. In truth, the flavor is more wild and bright than either, but like both, it has a cutting, clean flavor that enlivens other foods... I hope you can find some to try.

Ciao Paz. I wonder if you could find it in some farmers' market.

Everybody: is you find fresh lovage in your area, let me know. I am interested.

Merisi

Lovage is found in most Austrian kitchen gardens. I remember farmers' kitchen gardens from my earliest childhood days where a large lovage plant seemed to be de rigueur. I remember it so well because playing around mother working in the garden, I often touched its leaves, fascinated by the strong frangrance that hit my nose when I put my hands to my face afterwards. Austrians are masters in creating flavorful dishes by simmering meat with root vegetables, be it chicken, pork or beef, and lovage is always part of the pot. A sprig or two of lovage gives a lovely note to the broth. The most famous of these boiled meat and root vegetable dishes is the Viennese Tafelspitz, a special cut of aged beef brisket simmered to perfection for hours, albeit just below the boiling point.

Celery seeds are delicious in egg salad! They become even more fragrant when bruised with the flat side of a chef's knife before use. In the DC area, Bethesda Coop used to sell a "fake" egg salad, made of Tofu cubes, I loved its celery seed flavor.

Merisi

I wanted to add that in the DC area, the only place that I ever found lovage was a small potted seedling at the Women's Farmers Market in Bethesda. It lasted for months (I had too much shade in my garden to keep it alive through winter). One needs only a small sprig, its flavor is so strong that using too much creates an unpleasant bitter overtone.

Simona Carini

Ciao Merisi and thanks for all the info on the use of lovage in Austria. My plant, which is small, survived a cold and wet winter, so I am hopeful I will be able to keep it for a while. I also love to smell the leaves and I know I have to be careful, since the flavor is strong. I didn't know there was a women's farmers' market in Bethesda. It sounds wonderful. If I go to DC in November, I'll be downtown, but I can always visit Bethesda for the market. Grazie!

christine @ wannafoodie

Sounds like a great combination - goat cheese and lovage!

Simona Carini

I hope you try it, Christine. I really like lovage.

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