309780 Sun Jul 16 20:37:05 -0700 2006 22 31 Home Cooking 0 1747962 In this weird weather year in N. Cal, we have almost no fruit (except buckets of figs), just a few tomatoes and the green beans haven't even started yet. BUT the herbs are huge and lush, especially the lemon balm and tarragon. I don't cook with tarragon much, occasionally in vinaigrette for spinach, but Friday night stuffed a chicken with a big bunch plus garlic and lemon. I would normally have used thyme or sage or rosemary for that. The tarragon perfumed the meat beautifully and the juices made a delectable sauce. I was amazed and want to use more of it. How do you use tarragon? Sun Jul 16 20:37:05 -0700 2006 12823 Junie D 1 1747970 great with chix as you know, also fish. Compound butters for either or for veg. Sun Jul 16 20:45:22 -0700 2006 1747962 16027 dano 1 1747988 I love bernaise sauce, I'll spread that on almost anything and you might also make up your own tarragon vinegar. Stuff well rinsed and blotted dry tarragon into decorative bottles with good tight stoppers or corks. Fill each bottle with warm good white wine vinegar and put it away in a cool dry spot until ready to use or to give as gifts at the holidays. You cab make all sorts of infused vinegars or herbed jellies too. I have jelly jars just waiting for me to fill with basil jelly and others. They are pretty, delicious and wonderful as a condiment with roasted meats and not commonly found on store shelves. Oh, another thought for tarragon, if you can get teeny tiny cucumbers at a farmers market you could make those lovely French cornichons which can be so expensive to buy. Sun Jul 16 20:58:29 -0700 2006 1747962 10285 Candy 2 1748077 Thanks everyone, keep them coming. Yes, vinegar. And I love the idea of tarragon pickles. We have a cornichon plant but have had a pathetic 3 cucumbers from it this year. I suppose I could use my usual dill pickle recipe, substituting tarragon for dill? Plus I think I'd go easy on the usual hot chiles. Sun Jul 16 22:17:49 -0700 2006 1747988 12823 Junie D 3 1748107 You should consider pickling other veggies too like baby carrots, radishes, cauliflower, etc. in tarragon. I had some pickled (or marinated?) baby carrots at an SF restaurant recently, and the subtle tarragon flavor was wonderful! I agree w/ Candy on Bernaise...tastes great w/ so many things. Recently had it at a restaurant paired w/ halibut, but wild salmon would be great. Would also be nice w/ poached eggs. I agree that tarragon and chicken were made for each other. Put in chicken salad or a chicken stew (like the chicken Riesling from Balthazar that I've posted on). Tarragon is one of my all-time favorite herbs!! Let us know if you come across any interesting uses... Sun Jul 16 22:44:01 -0700 2006 1748077 10371 Carb Lover 2 1749001 Please tell me more about basil jelly... :) Mon Jul 17 15:46:48 -0700 2006 1747988 10309 Funwithfood 1 1747994 I recantly had a great spread/dip at a newer place in town that had a mystery taste. It was a bean dip puree with a tad of cumin and some olive oil and, we finally desided, terrago. It made all the diff'- a wonderful light anise undertone. I liked it better than a hummus. Next time I will make it with edamame. Sun Jul 16 21:00:42 -0700 2006 1747962 10462 stlSarah 1 1748078 I sprinkle it on top of cooked carrots and a little butter. Roasted chicken A little bit chopped into lobster salad. Sun Jul 16 22:18:04 -0700 2006 1747962 10666 Chocolatechipkt 1 1748137 The flavor really goes well with artichokes. Sun Jul 16 23:15:20 -0700 2006 1747962 13445 Louise 1 1748138 Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs...here's another idea for it with chicken AND tomatoes which it pairs with nicely too.. one of our favorite Epicurious recipes...Chicken Louisa...link below: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/103553 Sun Jul 16 23:16:22 -0700 2006 1747962 11983 Val 1 1748165 my standard omelet filling is roasted tomato, with fried onion and mushrooms and tarragon. the tarragon transforms it. Sun Jul 16 23:38:58 -0700 2006 1747962 15695 rose water 2 1773389 Yes, tarragon is always in my omelettes. I am lazy and just throw in brie or any moldy creamy cheese...lots of butter... Fri Jul 28 16:31:12 -0700 2006 1748165 16728 kenito799 3 1914819 i'm perusing this thread again because i've been using tarragon a lot recently, and i love it. had it in my frittata this morning. mmm. there's a picture at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rose_water/257599039/ this was inspired by Carb Lover's gorgeous frittata on this old, informative frittata thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/282409 i also had tarragon last week in a salad with roasted beets, toasted hazelnuts and gorgonzola. delightful licorice-y flavor, which contrasted nicely with the beets. Sun Oct 01 18:55:45 -0700 2006 1773389 15695 rose water 1 1748175 Chicken, definitely. Also good in tuna salad, egg salad, potato salad! Dry it and make your own fine herbes mixture. Finely chop it and mix it with butter, salt, and pepper, spread it on corn on the cob, sprinkle some lime juice over the cob, pull the husks back up and grill the corn - divine! It's also great on fish - a compound butter using tarragon makes a nice topping. Sun Jul 16 23:42:41 -0700 2006 1747962 10532 LindaWhit 1 1748197 The compund butter is also good over steak, or pureed celery root soup. Sun Jul 16 23:54:01 -0700 2006 1747962 13445 Louise 1 1748231 Jasper White is a well known local chef in Boston, he uses tarragon for lobster rolls (not a large amount, just a hint) - this was new for me and is very good. Since you're in CA I'll mention that lobster rolls here are made with chilled fresh boiled lobster meat, mayo, some people add celery, and toasted "top-opening" hot dog rolls. Since moving to Bosoton I've learned that lobster rolls in CT are made with hot lobster and melted butter, and people in CT call the non-CT version "cold lobster salad" rolls. Ok, well probably more info than you really wanted. Have fun. Mon Jul 17 00:26:21 -0700 2006 1747962 18264 steinpilz 1 1748249 I wonder if anyone would have any ideas of making tarragon soda. I bought a bottle at a Russian store and it was really very refreshing. I know tarragon tea is sold, though I've never tried it. I wonder if you could make tea out of fresh leaves. Sometimes I do that with fresh mint. In exchange for any ideas on how to make home-made tarragon soda, I offer this recipe I found trying to google a recipe for tarragon soda. It sounds good. Tarragon Scented Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Cake http://www.hawaiianchocolate.com/recipes_tarragonscentedhvc.html Mon Jul 17 00:40:51 -0700 2006 1747962 10264 rworange 1 1749850 For tarragon soda, I'd imagine you'd make a simple syrup and steep tarragon leaves in it for a half hour or so (taste the syrup; you want it to pick up the herb's flavor, but you don't want it to go too long and become bitter), then strain. Keep the syrup in a jar in the fridge, then make soda by the glass by combining your syrup with seltzer to taste. I love this tarragon vinaigrette, which I first made after tasting something similae at two restaurants years ago: olive oil, white wine vinegar, a little dijon mustard, a little minced garlic, minced tarragon, salt and pepper, and honey to taste. I most often use it on a fall or winter salad with pears and maybe dried cranberries or nuts, but it certainly works well with summery veggies that complement that flavors of tarragon and the bit of sweetness from the honey - fennel, bitter salad greens, goat, feta, or blue cheese, etc. Mon Jul 17 20:53:39 -0700 2006 1747962 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 1774757 Tarragon butter--with or without finely minced shallots--freezes beautifully. You roast a chicken or grill a salmon filet or pan-sear a rib eye steak, and there it is, the quick and easy substitute for Sauce Béarnaise which really doesn't keep, as far as I know. Sat Jul 29 02:04:16 -0700 2006 1747962 17327 rootlesscosmo 1 1924322 I also recommend a compound butter. This is the one we love (Bearnaise Butter from the Gourmet Cookbook): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/12496 Just made a few batches a few weeks ago for the freezer. Excellent over steaks, chicken, fish, or on burgers. Thu Oct 05 08:38:45 -0700 2006 1747962 20603 akp 1 1928062 I make focaccia and top it with tarragon, sea salt and good olive oil. The bread gets eaten quickly! Fri Oct 06 18:27:25 -0700 2006 1747962 29932 MIss G 1 1929361 Terragon goes beautifully with Lobster. When I make lobster salad, I use a terragon vinagrette raither than anything mayo based. Sat Oct 07 04:30:50 -0700 2006 1747962 26357 SuzMiCo 1 1931676 Put several stems into a bottle of good quality vodka and keep for at least one week: not only will it taste wonderful, but the bottle will look absolutely lovely. Mon Oct 09 00:16:44 -0700 2006 1747962 21854 galka