I want to tell you about a very special plant in my herb-garden, and it’s uses. It seems that not many people know about it in this day and age, although it was very popular in Roman and mediaeval times when it’s main use was as a vegetable. Now its use is mainly as a herb. It’s called Lovage. It’s a large celery-like plant that can grow taller than a man. Part of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes carrots, parsley and dill, it is not often found on sale in garden centres today.

It is easy and rewarding to grow at home as it has two seasons each year. Lovage has a strong, musky flavour similar to celery but with lemon notes. It is best used fresh, and sparingly because it has a strong taste. It is at its best this time of the year when the early shoots have matured. I find that is is also best to use freshly picked shoots rather than the dried leaves you sometimes find in high class stores.

Lovage is a traditional favourite in Scotland, so try it with game such as pheasant, or combine with smoked haddock and bacon or ham. It is also good with chicken. Add a spoonful of the chopped leaves, or the seeds, to savoury, cheesy doughs as you would chives or parsley. Sprinkle the chopped leaves over plates of green beans or peas, or add them to salads. Lovage can be a good substitute for dill, parsley, chervil or tarragon, and can be used instead of basil to make pesto. Soup is another typical use. The stalks can be treated the same way as celery, or crystallised like angelica. There are a lot of pages on t’internet about lovage and various recipes, so I wont drone on about its virtues anymore except to give you my “Quickie Turkey and Lovage Pie” as in the picture.

You will need:

1 packet of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (Asda)
1 packet of White Sauce mix (Asda)
1 medium onion, finely chopped. (Next doors garden)
Tablespoon of chopped Lovage.
250g approx of cooked chopped turkey or chicken (Asda)
A drop of oil to saute the onion.
A smidgen of real French butter (LeClerc), or cheapo margarine (Lidl)

If you are not in a hurry, or a perfectionist, you can make your own white sauce and pastry, but I’m an idle sod and can’t be bothered!

How to make:

Butter a shallow baking dish, roll out the pastry and use half to line the dish. Light the oven on Gas Mark 5. Saute the chopped onion in the oil until it goes soft and semi-transparent. Set aside. Mix the white sauce with cold water as per the destructions on the packet and bring to the boil. Just before it starts to thicken put in the turkey (chicken), the onions and the lovage. Keep stirring while the mixture thickens, and when it starts to come away from the sides of the saucepan (you should be using a non-stick one, or you’ll be in a mess!) and it looks fairy stiff, spoon it into the pastry lined dish and spread it evenly. Next use the other half of the ready rolled pastry to cover and cut a small hole in the centre to let out the steam when it’s in the oven. Smear it all over with milk to give the pastry a nice golden colour. Bake the pie in the pre-heated oven for approx 25 mins on the centre shelf. Make a cup of coffee and have a fag while it’s cooking.

I find that it tastes much better cold the next day with a Gratin Dauphinois, but then I’m peculiar!