Herb of the Day: French Tarragon

[tamawrite]

This is one I don't have a lot of experience with, so I'm eager to hear your ideas. I just picked up a plant yesterday. It smells lovely -- spicy, a bit like Greek oregano, yet minty. What do you do with fresh French Tarragon?

(For non-gardeners: there are two kinds of tarragon available: French, which is the most desirable for cooking, or Russian (aka wild or false) tarragon, which has less flavor. Tarragon is a perennial grown as an annual in colder areas; it likes well-drained soil and HEAT -- lots of sun, preferably against a wall for extra, radiated warmth. It is best propagated by cuttings, as the seeds are often sterile.)

[Canice]

I came to tarragon rather late but now LOVE it - and it loves chicken. Both of these recipes are very T&T:

MUSTARD-TARRAGON CHICKEN SAUTÉ

An elegant entrée in about 15 minutes — using ingredients you are likely to have on hand. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and baby peas or a Bibb lettuce salad for a balanced weeknight meal. Finish with a raspberry tart from the bakery.

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1/3 cup dry vermouth
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add shallots to same skillet and sauté 1 minute. Add vermouth and mustard and bring to simmer. Add cream and 1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon. Simmer until slightly thickened, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Simmer until chicken is heated through, about 1 minute.

Transfer chicken and sauce to platter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoontarragon and serve.

Makes 4 servings.
Bon Appétit
April 2002

Mixed Greens with Green Goddess Dressing

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
5 anchovy fillets
1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
1/4 cup dill leaves
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup yogurt

1 large Romaine heart, chopped
1 head Boston or butter lettuce, chopped
1 head chicory, chopped

Place mustard and eggs in a food processor. Process, adding vegetable and olive oils *very slowly* until completely emulsified. Mix in white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Add the next eight ingredients (garlic through scallion) and purée until smooth. Add in the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with greens and serve.
Serves 6-8

(Recipe adapted from David Rosengarten’s “It’s All American Food”)

[MusicMom]

I love the flavor of tarragon and always add some to CL's German Meatballs (http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=629990)

I'm looking for some plants to add to my herb garden.

[Ohioan]

I like to put a little tarragon into split pea soup. It's also lovely in salads.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Okiedokie]

This page by McCormick Spice will tell you about tarragon, it's taste, uses and so forth. Tarragon (http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?id=8233)

[Hammster]

Here is a fave at my house.

Tarragon Chicken Bundles.
2 large potatoes, cut in 1/2" dice.
2 carrots, cut in 1/2" dice.
1 onion cut in 1/2" dice.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
4 chicken breasts (preferably bone in and with skin).
Juice of one lemon.
4 tbls butter, divided use.
Tarragon, to taste.
S/P, to taste.

Tear off 4 long sheets of foil.
To each sheet of foil add 1/4 of the vegetables, 1 chicken breast placed on top of vegetables, 1/4 of lemon juice, 1 tbls butter, tarragon, and s/p to taste.

Fold foil over ingredients leaving some room for steam to develop and crimp the edges of the foil to make a tight seal. Put bundles in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Be careful when opening the packets as steam will escape.

Serve with a nice green salad.

[gobluem82]

I love to add tarragon to scrambled eggs-yum! It's also great added to your basic mayo-based chicken salad recipe.

[Okiedokie]

Originally posted by gobluem82
I love to add tarragon to scrambled eggs-yum! It's also great added to your basic mayo-based chicken salad recipe. Is it true that it has a sort of licorice taste? In all my years of cooking, I have never yet, tried that spice, but you all are about to sell me on buying some of it. :)

[Jill W]

YUM! I love tarragon! Here is a recipe for creamed onions I'd like to share with you all. I really feel that the tarragon (french) makes this recipe!

CREAMED ONIONS

Basic recipe changes by Jill

Easy Peeling of onions:
Place desired amount of onions in boiling water.
Simmer for a few (3-5) minutes.
Drain; fill pan with cold water.
Cut one end off, slide onion out of its’ skin.

Simmer the peeled onions in salted water until tender.
Drain and add to “cream” recipe below or freeze for future use.

In small saucepan, on low heat:
Melt 1 tbsp. Margarine or butter
Stir in: (to make a paste)
1 Tbsp. Flour
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. White pepper
Tarragon flakes (dried or fresh-to taste)
Gradually, stir in: until smooth
1 cup milk (I use 1% or FF)
Stirring constantly, bring to boil on medium heat
Boil 1 minute.
Stir in drained, cooked onions.

Note: I have prepared the boiled onions ahead of time and frozen them to use later. When they are defrosted, prepare the cream sauce and follow the rest of the instructions.
What is different about this recipe is the addition of Tarragon flakes. Our family loves this twist in the recipe.

[gardenmom]

I am another chicken with tarragon fan. I just planted 2 plants as my 4 yr old loves to eat it while we are in the veggie garden (He loves black licorice).

My favorite is tarragon in chicken salad made with light mayo and celery, green apple, almonds or walnuts, red onion, and tarragon. I hope my plants grow quickly as I kind of crave this sandwich now!

[karen w]

I love CL's ROASTED SALMON WITH TOMATOES AND TARRAGON. In the winter I make it with drained, canned diced tomatoes and it is equally as delicious. It is also good thrown into potato salad and slaw. My other all time favorite is also a CL recipe, SEAFOOD STEW. I usually sub. something else for the shrimp in this dish as I am allergic, and it always turns out delicious. Sometimes I'll add chunks of fish or just up the quantity of scallops.

Enjoy,

Karen

[Okiedokie]

Originally posted by gardenmom
I am another chicken with tarragon fan. I just planted 2 plants as my 4 yr old loves to eat it while we are in the veggie garden (He loves black licorice).

My favorite is tarragon in chicken salad made with light mayo and celery, green apple, almonds or walnuts, red onion, and tarragon. I hope my plants grow quickly as I kind of crave this sandwich now! OH!! GOOD GRIEF!! you just sold me. I too, love black licorice. Now, I know that I am going to have to buy me some, and I already have so many spices that it's about to the point that I'm going to have to have a separate spice cabinet someway. :o Another selling point that got me was the slaw and the onions and the potatoes. Oh, you all have done it for sure. Thanks. ;)

[Okiedokie]

I looked at the grocery last night for French Tarragon, and all they had was just plain Tarragon leaves. Is this not good, and where do you all buy the French? I'm just thinking the plants of the herb you all are growing is not the French variety, but simply plain tarragon. Am I correct? Any answers will be appreciated. Thanks.