Mission Challenge: Day 9
We challenged people in the fast-growing town of Mission, B.C., to try local eating for 100 days starting on June 1. Nearly 100 people signed up on the spot - and we couldn’t resist signing up, too. We’re back on a fully local diet, this time with plenty of company and a camera crew taking it all in for the Food Network. Can a community change the way it eats? Let’s find out. If you’re in Mission and taking the challenge, we want to hear from you. And it’s never to late to get involved: Join in for a month, a week, even a single meal.
DAY 9 - Yes, after almost three years of exploring our local foods, Alisa and I can still be surprised. On our first trip to the Mission Farmers’ Market, we came home with a food I’ve never cooked with before: lovage. What’s more, the market organizers were giving it away! It’s a perfect example of many of the things that I like best about eating close to home: fresh flavours; a sense of discovery; and uncommon generosity.
Lovage is similar to celery, but tastes slightly more herbal and floral. It was popular in classical times, especially among the Romans, and was common in medieval kitchen gardens. As of 2006, the Oxford Companion to Food listed lovage as “little known anywhere,” and you certainly won’t often spot it at the supermaket. My bet, though, is that lovage is due for a renaissance. Its flavour is unique and versatile - and it is traditionally considered a love potion.
I took home a shrub of the stuff, and have since used the leaves in salad and with fish or eggs, and the leaves and stalks to flavour soups and stews. I’m hoping to find more and to dry some for my spice cabinet (okay, it’s mainly a herb cabinet). If you track down some lovage, one very quick way to try its flavour is to sauté a bit of onion or leek, then crack an egg in a bowl and lightly beat in a small handful of chopped, fresh lovage. Cook the scrambled egg and, as you eat it, feel the perfume of the lovage climb up into your nostrils.
Does anyone else have a lovage recipe? Share it here - JBM
