Love the Lovage

Last weekend, I braved the crowds at the Union Square to go on one last greenmarket shopping spree before CSA season begins. Highlights included the photogenic radishes from my previous post, an enormous pile of sugar snap peas at the Mignorelli Farm stand ("Can I eat these raw? Are they low in fat?" a fellow shopper asked me... I love encouraging people to eat more vegetables), and a big bunch of lovage. The leaves of the lovage plant look like big celery leaves, while the stems are thin and hollow. It has a distinct aroma that I'll describe as savory and salty. So far I've enjoyed my lovage in soup, potato salad, and the two dishes below. I've also heard that the English make a cordial with lovage, traditionally mixed with brandy as a winter warmer (something I learned from a band called Lovage).

Lentils with Lovage


4 strips bacon (or 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil, to make it vegetarian)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup green lentils
broth or water
20 lovage leaves
small splash of sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a small pot over medium-low heat until slightly crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Leave about half of the bacon fat in the pot. If you're making this dish vegetarian, just heat the oil.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add lentils and enough water or broth to cover them by about an inch. Partially cover the pot with a lid, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

Stir in chopped lovage leaves and sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped bacon.

Potato Gratin with Lovage


1 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 medium waxy potatoes, thinly sliced (I used a mandoline set at 2.0 mm)
12 lovage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

for bechamel sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups milk

shredded Gruyere cheese (as much or as little as you'd like)

To make bechamel sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Add flour to form a roux. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in milk to make a smooth sauce. Cook until slightly thickened.

Add a few tablespoons of bechamel sauce to a buttered small casserole dish. Add 1/3 of the potatoes in an even layer over the sauce, then 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the lovage. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the onions and lovage. Repeat to make one more layer, then top with potato slices and bechamel sauce. Sprinkle (or pile) grated cheese on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 350. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.