Can’t believe it’s a whole week since I’ve managed to get online for any length of time. Coping with the kitchen totally stressed me out and I needed a couple of days to recoup from the ordeal.
This last week has been the final week of term and I have been very, very busy at my work.
I’ve had more pupils outside getting involved in gardening projects.
We now have a herb garden, three potato barrels and lots more hedgerow bushes planted.
We also have beautiful planters either side of the main entrance with different heathers and lavender plants.
The Wild flowers we planted last year are beginning to grow and the woodland area is showing signs of spring. These kids really seem to take to the gardening.
Last weekend my PC died on me, thank heavens this time I have been backing up as I go. A while ago I bought a freestanding external hard drive, so glad I did because I have been using it religiously every night to back up any thing I had done that day on the computer. If I hadn’t done this I would have lost every thing. I have been so busy I haven’t had chance to get the PC looked at yet, I just hauled down my old laptop from the top shelf and have been making do with that. The lap top is ok………….only real problem is that it ‘lost’ its sound device a while ago, hence no videos. But apart for operating totally in ‘silent’ mode, the lap top does just fine until I get round to getting the PC looked at.
Now school is closed for the Easter break, two whole weeks without having to get up and go to work, oh bliss!! Already I’ve managed to get across the river to Tayport to visit a friend I don’t see very often. She made soup from the vegetables she grows in her garden, flavoured with her own home grown herbs and washed down with wine she made from her berries last year. She gave me some Lovage……………….don’t think I’ve ever grown Lovage before. Any one know a good use for Lovage??? Sure you do, you probably have hundreds of uses for Lovage so please…… share your knowledge with me.
Two weeks is so little time to do every thing I plan to do. There is work in the garden, work in the kitchen, do a bit of drawing, do a lot of catching up here, fit all that around the inevitable babysitting and still have time for the 5 day visit to my Mother and Sisters who live about 500 miles south of here.
But for now……………….it’s just very nice to have my kitchen back and round off my day with a bit of time here.
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aimlessjoys wrote on Apr 7, '09
What
wonderful goings on! Surely lovage must be delightful, but I'm only
familiar with it in name, sad to tell. Update when you've discovered
more about it, please! Have Fun!
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acousticeagle wrote on Apr 7, '09
Good
to see you back. I'm not familiar with lovage at all, maybe it's called
something else in Australia. I just had a quick look on Google. One
site says :"The classic love root. Generally used to attract and hold a
lover. Often used in the bath to become more attractive." Ok, so it
smells nice, but I wouldn't be swimming in my bath with celery stalks.
Maybe you need to have it dried first?
All your gardening enterprises look very promising for later in the year. From little things, big things grow. I had a scale infestation on my new umbrella plant, but I doctored it yesterday and keeping watch for those scales if they reappear. It's my only indoor plant so I'm nurturing it. My system is old so, like you, I don't see videos either. I don't see or hear them. It used to happen, but not anymore. I'll get a new computer someday so I'm not worried. |
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Lovage (Levisticum officinale Koch)
Lovage fruits Lovage fruits (also termed seeds) Used plant part Of this plant, the leaves are most common as a spice. However, root and fruits have the same taste and may be used if a stronger lovage taste is desired; the root is used as a diuretic drug and may be available in a pharmacy, but the fruits are not traded. Plant family Apiaceae (parsley family). Sensoric quality Strongly aromatic, remotely similar to celery. |
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Loretta,
I decided to find the root, no pun intended, of the name lovage. A
friend who grows it calls it 'smallage', I have no idea why. Anyway,
here is a link with the root information. :-}
http://www.linebylineproductions.com/My%20Spices/lovage.htm |
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very
interesting blog, loretta,,i know nada about lovage, except what i just
read here :) it's wonderful that you get your pupils interested in
gardening,,they will appreciate that as they get older,,and it's
wonderful that you finally have 2 weeks off,,enjoy!!!!!!!!
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dianahopeless wrote on Apr 7, '09
It
is so nice that the students are liking learning about gardening. It is
something that they will use all their lives, if they really enjoy it.
How cool that you all even have potato barrels planted. I am curious who
will be tending the plants while you are all on vacation though?
Lovage is one herb I have never used or grown. I am glad you posted about it, as I love learning about new things. Use old gardeners can still learn a new trick or two. lol |
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brendainmad wrote on Apr 7, '09
I'm
glad you got some answers about lovage. I've certainly learned more
than I knew, which is nothing. I do know about Maggi though. Isn't it
great having some time off?
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forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 7, '09
Thanks
every one ...........I have never seen lovage or used it before and
what ever it is it seems to grow more or less wild in my friends garden.
Today I will take a photo of it, the photos here are just ones I
downloaded. The more I read and see of it the less certain it is
actually lovage. My friend calls it lovage....and she puts in in her
soups.... so now I'm off to the garden to take a picture of it.
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kathyinozarks wrote on Apr 7, '09
I
enjoyed your post about your students and gardening, and I loved
learning all about lovage here in comments and a wonderful recipe from
Frank too-thank you Frank
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veroniquemariquita wrote on Apr 6, '09
I
only tried growing lovage one time and something (I suspect a rabbit)
kept eating it as fast as it grew a couple of leaves. The poor thing
finally just gave up and died.
It has a pleasant celery flavor. |
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forgetmenot525 said
 But for now……………….it’s just very nice to have my kitchen back and round off my day with a bit of time here. 
Well deserved time, for sure.
My Grandparents were from Italy and use lovage for teas, medicinal purposes and the fruit was used as a spice, dried and ground for winter use. I remember a potato, shallot and lovage (just a handful chopped) soup. Also a great addition, again in a small amount, in cooking beans - I especially like it with lentils. Oh yes, the apple chutney!! Apple Lovage Chutney (6 half-pints) Ingredients 6 cups Apples, cored and chopped 1 cup Lovage, fresh, chopped 1 med Sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 1 med Red tomato, cored, peeled, chopped 1 med Green tomato, cored, chopped 1 med Onion, peeled and chopped 3 Garlic cloves, minced 1 cup Golden raisins 1/4cup Fresh ginger, peeled, minced 1 cup Light brown sugar, packed 1 cup White wine vinegar 1 tbls Mustard seeds 1 tsp Celery seeds Instructions: 1. Combine all ingredients in non-reactive pan. Bring to boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes, or until thickened. 2. Prepare jars, lids and boiling water bath. Fill jars with hot mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims with clean towel and attach lids securely. 3. Place jars in boiling water bath, and when the water returns to the boil, process for 15 minutes. It is worth the work. |
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greenwytch wrote on Apr 6, '09
i don't know too much about lovage, but i thoroughly enjoyed reading about your student's gardening.
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forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 6, '09
wow..............thanks
Sea, I have planted it in a container at the moment but maybe later i
will plant it out. I think she actualy used lovage in the soup she gave
me and it was delicious, a very strong flavour but I liked it. I think
it is one of the lesser known herbs, one that is not used so often. sad
that you lost your plant, if it was legal i'd get her to post you some
cos it grows all over her garden but there are pretty strict laws about
import/export of plants etc...........which is a shame. Thanks for the
info.
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I
have a blog about lovage and its uses. Just click on herbs in my tags.
But if you got a plant lucky you! Lovage is like a combo of parsley
and celery, it tastes like both. But you do not want ot use alot of it.
Its awesome in soups tho and seems to add some body to them. Ive grown
it before and I miss it so much. I had a plant here and the idiot
gardeners men ripped it out before it could take off. Ive decided not to
plant anymore of anything till I get to Oregon. If you plant this it
should and will grow huge!! So plant it at the back of the bed. Im 5'2"
and I think my plant ended up about 6 1/2 ft! .....At the end of the
summer I cut it back and pick off all the leaves and dry them for winter
use. I have only found one source for the leaf online to buy to use and
thats Mountain Rose herbs in Ore. I ordered from them till I land in a
new house. But theirs has stems and everything in it. So Im careful when
I use it. If you just save and dry the leaves you will love using it.
Shhhhh its my secret ingredient when I make tuna salad. :)
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