The tomato as the basic ingredient of various kinds of ketchup it deserves to be mentioned. It is a native of northwestern South America (Peru and Ecuador), where the Incas raised it probably in ancient times, as did the Aztecs in Mexico. In the 16th century the tomato was taken from Mexico to Spain, where its Aztec name `tumantl' was changed to tomato, the name by which it is known in many other languages.
It was also popular in the Middle Ages, as we learn from the records of Hildegarde, abbess at the Rupertsberg abbey in the 12th century, mainly as a medicine for treating a wide variety of diseases. After that it slowly fell into oblivion, surviving only in country gardens, whence it is currently making a rapid comeback.
Mattioli was partly right, for the green parts of the plant are slightly poisonous and furthermore he was perhaps guided by a well- founded fear; for the tomato belongs to the nightshade family which includes many highly poisonous species which it resembles.
The rhizomes and roots are used to make commercial soup flavourings. The hollow stem may be cut crosswise into ring-like pieces and candied in the same way as the stem of angelica. All parts of lovage may be used fresh as well as dried, whole, crushed or ground.
Lovage is a large perennial herb up to 2 m (6 ft) high with a fleshy rhizome and long, branching roots. It grows best in moist deep soil. It may be propagated by seeds, but for the herb garden a single offset detached from the parent plant will suffice.
Parts should be dried at a temperature no greater than 35C (95F) for the plant contains essential oils, and stored in air-tight containers. - 16035
It was also popular in the Middle Ages, as we learn from the records of Hildegarde, abbess at the Rupertsberg abbey in the 12th century, mainly as a medicine for treating a wide variety of diseases. After that it slowly fell into oblivion, surviving only in country gardens, whence it is currently making a rapid comeback.
Mattioli was partly right, for the green parts of the plant are slightly poisonous and furthermore he was perhaps guided by a well- founded fear; for the tomato belongs to the nightshade family which includes many highly poisonous species which it resembles.
The rhizomes and roots are used to make commercial soup flavourings. The hollow stem may be cut crosswise into ring-like pieces and candied in the same way as the stem of angelica. All parts of lovage may be used fresh as well as dried, whole, crushed or ground.
Lovage is a large perennial herb up to 2 m (6 ft) high with a fleshy rhizome and long, branching roots. It grows best in moist deep soil. It may be propagated by seeds, but for the herb garden a single offset detached from the parent plant will suffice.
Parts should be dried at a temperature no greater than 35C (95F) for the plant contains essential oils, and stored in air-tight containers. - 16035
