Lovage

The huge plant in the center is lovage

I've been harvesting lovage lately.  It's a great vegetable, a perennial that is absolutely hardy, gives a huge harvest (more than we can use, actually), and is nice to look at in the garden.

It is sometimes called "perennial celery", but it really isn't related to celery and doesn't taste like it, either.  However, you use it in the same way.  It's tasty in salads when it's young, and very good in soups, stews, and sauces.  I like it chopped into scrambled eggs or added to potato soup. 

As well as eating it fresh, I dry a lot of it for winter use.  This is another use for our wonderful cookstove.  After making breakfast, I just open the oven door and put trays of chopped lovage inside to dry while the fire goes out and the oven cools. 



Trays ready for drying

You can grow lovage from seed (which is how I started mine) or get a piece of root from a friend.  One plant is plenty for a family.