Wednesday, June 25, 2008

[The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind] From the Flowers to the Celery Seed...

So, I've got this lovage plant growing in the garden (Lovage --or Maggi-plant for some of you Euro-folks-- is where celery seed comes from). It tends to get a little huge, and really, I hardly use the stuff when I cook. I know. I should use it more. It's not half bad, and it really packs a whollop in the I didn't know celery had flavor department.

No. Don't ask me how to get celery seed from the thing. I have no idea how to go about doing that. Plus, I can't think of a single recipe out there that uses celery seed. Now, celery salt? Oh yeah. I only know of one recipe for that, and it's damn good bloody mary (although, a friend of mine used to put it on his buttered toast, but I could never really get into that).

Anyway... Where the hell was I?

Oh yes. My lovage plant.

It's next to the ant-infested peonies. And, as today's picture shows, ants really seem to dig celery seed.

They like the celery seed.

Kind of neat, I suppose. I like the little ant coming up the stem to this packed snack bar of munching insects. However, as the picture illustrates, ants are freakin' stupid, since, as you can see in the background, there's a completely ant-free and open buffet right next door.

Anyway, aside from that, I recommend the large version or The Really Large Version (also known as The Big O).

They look like little ninjas.

Thankfully, I the ant infestation is limited to the garden and not inside the house.

-DP

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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 6/25/2008 10:26:00 AM

7 comments:

  1. Dan, celery seed does not  celery but from the thingy you have photographed? That seems strang to me but I admit I have never seen a celery plant bloom and/or flower amd go to seed. Is that actually a ccelery plant gone to seed?
    Bill

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  2. Then I try to go to the big O picture and I am told the site is private. I guess you just want to keep this whole seed thing a secret. bILL

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  3. I agree, I'm bummed that we can't see The Really Large Version... I wanna see ninja ants! *whines*

    Cool pic though. Very cool.

    Morgan
    http://journals.aol.com/Sneezy7125/RandomThoughts

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  4. Well, if you look at the leafy end of a celery stalk, that's pretty much what this plant looks like.  There's no celery, but if you use the leaves in soups and stews, it's got a sort of concentrated celery flavor.  

    I guess the plants are related, somehow.  But, yeah.  Celery seed comes from this plant and not from the traditional celery plant.  

    As for the picture being block, I'll look into it to see what the deal is.  I think it's been fixed.  I had the default license set to restrict downloads.  

    -Dan

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  5. Marc, link to the big O picture works fine now. Those ants are hngry and humongous. Great pic. Bill

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  6. Nice pic!  I use celery seed in potatoe salad, bean salad and in sweet n sour slaw.  I guess ants are a social insect (you know they like picnicing) and, apparently, they don't like dining alone.
    Char

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  7. I so want to do a Big O joke.........

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