Lovage, Leek & Dolcelatte Sauce for Pasta

[wellie]

Again, this recipe comes from Catherine Mason's VEG cookbook, and she says it's also good on baked potatoes. Serve with a crisp salad and a glass of cold dry white wine (sensible girl!!)

4 large leeks, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
15g butter
170 ml dry white wine
salt
1 tblsps finely chopped fresh (or frozen!) Lovage leaves
90-110g Dolcelatte cheese, cubed
60-90g roasted pine kernels
grated fresh Parmesan cheese, to serve

Serves 2.

In a wide, shallow pan, sweat the leeks for a few minutes in the melted butter.
Add the wine and a little salt, cover the pan and simmer gently until the leeks are nearly cooked.
Take off the lid, add the lovage leaves and allow the cooking liquid to reduce until it is syrupy and concentrated in flavour.
Just before serving, stir in the cubed cheese and pine kernels.

Pour the sauce into drained hot pasta, stir and serve on warmed plates.

[Lizzy]

This recipe sounds good, my kind of comfort food.
What does lovage taste like?

Liz

[wellie]

Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy!
What does Lovage taste like? That is SUCH a hard question to answer. Only because it tastes nothing like anything else that I know of. It's a uniquely 'fresh herb' taste all of its own, and for me at least, very difficult to describe.
If you PM me your address, I'm quite happy to send you a handful of fresh leaves? I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. Maybe others on The Grapevine can help you more.
X

[Lizzy]

Wellie,

Thanks for the information and offer. I have got some growing, a small plant at the moment, have not tried it. It is over my allotment, I am housebound at the moment, perhaps someone will be kind enough to pick some for me. I really fancy your recipe, anything with cheese in goes down a treat. I know of someone who drinks lovage cordial with brandy, untill then I had not heard of it, so bought some seeds to try.

Will the plant overwinter?

Liz x

[Finedon.Dandy]

Wellie - could I have that handfull of leaves if they are going spare?

[Lizzy]

Wellie, I made the Lovage Soup, not quite enough lovage, but the taste is wonderful. My poor little plant had one new growth, about 2" long, and one older stem. I cannot wait until next year, will definitely plant more plants.
Thanks very much for the recipes.

Liz

[SarzWix]

This sounds goegeous too, AND I have loads of leeks this year too

[Rhona]

I don't have any lovage but wish I did - sounds yummy!

[wellie]

Lizzy, the plant will definitely overwinter. It is a Hardy Perennial, so you'll be fine with it.

Incidentally, I only started these Lovage recipes to complement Pigletwillie's thread, because he's offering free Lovage seeds to those that want some, and, quite frankly, you don't find many Lovage recipes on your CookBook Shelf, now do ya?!

So my advice to FinedonDandy and Rhona, and anyone else lacking in the 'Lovage department' is to take up Piggy's kind offer of seed, and make a note of these recipes for future reference!
When your Lovage plant is growing nicely, you'll wish you had!

In the meantime, I'll harvest what leaves I've got left, and see if there's enough for you two girls as well.....
X

[Lizzy]

Thanks for the advice Wellie, looking forward to next Spring for some new growth.

Liz