For the love of lovage
By Sari Huhtala
I first planted lovage in my garden over 10 years ago, with my sights set on making flavourful soups, but this little-known herb is more than just a sidekick spice. It’s packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, which make it a superb addition to a medicinal herb garden. Try this lovage salad dressing for a tasty, nutritional boost.
Rich in vitamin C and quercetin, lovage has a celery-like taste, yet zestier, with mild flavour notes of parsley and fennel, and a zing of citrus. It’s a great addition to soups, dried or freshly chopped, particularly tomato-fennel-based soups. Chop it fresh into salads, use it as a replacement for parsley in tuna salads, add it to salsas, dry it, grind and create a seasoning blend, or chop it into a salad dressing.
Considering adding on to your garden? Lovage may be just the perfect addition, and, for organic gardeners, lovage can be a great trap crop for tomato hornworms, while attracting beneficial bugs that feed on other garden pests.
Lovage salad dressing
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup white wine vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped lovage
- ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake well. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shake well before using.
Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was created in 2007. She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking and edible wilds workshop, and My Farmacy workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca
