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| California Wild Tarragon: many uses in cooking |
We featured
California wild tarragon (Artemisia
dracunculus) as our Plant of the Month (Jan/2018) (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2018/01/plant-of-month-january-california-wild.html).
We hope some of you foodies are considering Wild tarragon for your
gardens.
To
get you inspired, we’d like to share a few recipes featuring California wild
tarragon. We’ll begin with some simple,
classic suggestions and recipes this month. These are the easiest ways to
include the flavor of tarragon in your cuisine. We’ll feature some slightly
more unusual tarragon recipes next month.
Tarragon
(French or Wild) has a unique flavor that most people either love or can leave.
Unlike the savory flavors of thyme, sage
and rosemary, tarragon has a sweet and mild nature. It tastes fresh – with a
hint of licorice. The flavors of Wild
tarragon combine well with a number of other flavors including celery, basil,
fennel and others. Among the classical
pairings are with the acidy tang of vinegar or citrus.
Fresh
or dried tarragon can be added to cooked vegetables, soups or stews. Fresh tarragon is best added near the end of
cooking, to keep it flavorful. The essence of tarragon combines well with the buttery
flavor and texture of fats. If you want
to savor the flavor of tarragon, pair it with salt to create a rub or finishing
salt for beef, pork, poultry, fish or shellfish. Tarragon adds a light, fresh element to lift
the flavors of fatty foods. Another
simple way to feature the flavor of tarragon is with a simple tarragon butter.
Tarragon
vinegar is easy to make and very versatile. It can be used in many ways – from marinades
to sauces and beyond. It’s a staple of
French and Italian cuisine - you may have a favorite family recipe that uses tarragon
vinegar. Below are two simple recipes
for you to try.
Tarragon Butter
½ cup
unsalted butter
1 ½ tsp.
lemon juice
1 Tbsp.
dried or 2 Tbsp. to ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves (cut finely if using fresh)
1 to 2
Tbsp. finely chopped fresh green onions or chives (optional)
Salt and
pepper to taste
Soften
butter to room temperature. Cream the
butter in an electric mixer, food processor or by hand. Add the lemon juice, tarragon and onions and
blend well. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Chill at least 1 hour in
refrigerator before serving. If
desired, you can shape the butter into a log when partly chilled. The butter than then be cut into ‘pats’ when
fully chilled.
Tarragon
butter tastes yummy on grilled meats, chicken, fish and seafood. It adds a sophisticated touch to potatoes,
baked squash and other vegetables, from green beans to cooked root vegetables. It’s also heavenly on toasted bread or rolls.
You
can play around with the flavors, adding other fresh herbs and spices you like including
parsley, garlic, mustard, cayenne or dill. You can also substitute lemon, orange or tangerine
zest for the lemon juice.
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| Tarragon vinegar is used in French, Italian and other cuisines |
Making
Tarragon vinegar is very easy. But you
might want to review our posting on Flavored Vinegars before you make your
first batch: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/01/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html.
The best method for making Tarragon Vinegar is the hot-infused vinegar
method, below.
Tarragon Vinegar
1 cup
fresh tarragon sprigs
2 cups
white wine or apple cider vinegar
Fresh
sprigs of tarragon (optional)
Wash
and sterilize a glass jar with a lid (to sterilize, wash the jar, then cover
with boiling water in a pot until ready to fill). The jar should be at least 16 oz. or greater capacity to accommodate herbs and
vinegar. Heat the vinegar to just below
boiling (in a non-reactive pot on the stove or in the microwave). Wash the
tarragon sprigs in cool water; pat dry. Bruise the tarragon with the back of a
heavy knife or mallet. Place tarragon in
the sterilized jar.
a funnel, pour hot vinegar over the tarragon, making sure that tarragon is
completely covered. Let cool to lukewarm; place a layer of cling wrap over the
top of the jar before sealing with a plastic or metal lid. Place in a cool place, out of direct
sunlight, for one week. Swirl the
mixture every other day or so, to allow the flavors to develop.
Wash
and sterilize another glass jar(s) with capacity to hold 2 cups of
vinegar. Remove the lid from infusion
jar. Strain out the tarragon sprigs
using a sieve or colander lined with several layers of cheese cloth. If there are still small pieces in the
vinegar, you can strain the vinegar through a paper coffee filter to remove
them.
Pour
finished vinegar into sterilized jars.
If desired, place an addition sprig of tarragon in the jar before
sealing (note: this is just for aesthetics – particularly if you’re giving the
vinegar as a gift). Seal jar(s) as
above. Store for several months in the
refrigerator.
Tarragon Vinegar in your favorite vinaigrette, mayonnaise or sauce recipe. It also makes a nice marinade for meats, fish
or vegetables – or drizzled on sandwich fillings. You can also use it as marinade or sauce for
fresh sliced strawberries, fruit pies or other desserts using fresh
fruits.
____________________________________________________
We
encourage you to send us your questions, comments and recipes (either comment
below or e-mail to us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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