California Gourmet: Wild Tarragon Recipes 2

Wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus): fresh garden herbs can be used in many recipes

Last
month we discussed the flavorful aspects of Wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) and suggested some simple ways to use it in
your cooking (http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2018/01/california-gourmet-wild-tarragon.html). 
This month we’d like to share some additional recipes – ones that may
inspire you to grow Wild tarragon in your own garden.

We
were surprised to learn that tarragon is a commonly used beverage flavor in
Russia and the former Soviet-block countries.  The tarragon is usually paired with citrus or
other, slightly tart, fruits.  We’ve
included several simple recipes that you may want to try, with or without added
alcohol. They are particularly refreshing on a hot day – and you can make the
syrup ahead and store in your refrigerator for weeks to months.

And
while many cooks use tarragon to season meats and vegetables, Wild tarragon
also adds a pleasant flavor to breads and other baked goods. It is often paired
with potatoes or citrus fruit – excellent combinations to bring out the best of
the complex flavors. We hope that the recipes below will inspire you to use
Wild tarragon more creatively in your own kitchen.

 







Tarragon-Citrus syrup can be used in many ways.

  

Tarragon-Citrus Syrup

Ingredients

 

2 sprigs
(about 6-8 inches in total) fresh tarragon



2 cups
white sugar



2 cups
water



1 cup
lemon (or blood orange) or ½ cup lime (or tangerine) juice; freshly squeezed is
best)

1 drop
green, yellow or orange food coloring (if desired)



Directions

Blanch
tarragon sprigs by immersing for 2-3 seconds in simmering water, then rapidly
rinsing in ice-cold water.  Finely chop
the tarragon (leaves and stems).

Mix
sugar and water in a sauce pan.  Bring to
a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.  
Remove from heat.   Pour syrup
into a heat-proof glass or pyrex bowl.

Add
citrus juice and chopped tarragon to the syrup. 
Cover the bowl and let steep for 6-8 hours.  Strain the syrup through a fine sieve or
several layers of cheese cloth to remove tarragon.  Add food coloring (optional) and store in a
sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.  
It can be stored for up to 6 weeks.

To
make a traditional beverage, combine ¼ cup syrup, 1 quart (unflavored)
sparkling water and ice.  Mix and
serve.   You can also add several
Tablespoons of this flavoring to a gin & tonic or vodka & tonic (to
taste).  Or use this interesting syrup
over fruit, cake or ice cream (yum!) or add to plain yoghurt.   For more ideas on using flavored syrups see:
http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/03/california-gourmet-berry-dream-bar.html  

 Strawberry-Tarragon Syrup





Ingredients









8 oz.
fresh (or frozen) strawberries, hulled and sliced



¼ to ½ cup
white sugar



4 sprigs
fresh tarragon



¾ cup
white wine vinegar



 

Directions



Place
strawberries and sugar in a glass or other non-reactive mixing bowls.  Stir. 
Cover and let sit at room temperature for several hours, stirring
occasionally.

Wash
tarragon in cool water; pat dry.  Bruise
tarragon by hitting with the dull side of a heavy knife or cleaver.  Place tarragon and vinegar in a glass jar,
being sure that vinegar entirely covers the tarragon (push down if
needed).  Cover with a plastic lid (or
layer of plastic wrap and then a metal lid). 
Seal lid and let stand at room temperature to steep.

Strain
the strawberries from the strawberry juice using a fine sieve.  Use the strawberries for another recipe.   Pour the strawberry juice into the jar with
the vinegar and tarragon.  Make sure that
tarragon is completely covered. 

Tightly
seal the jar and place in the refrigerator to steep.  Check for taste after 1-2 days and daily
thereafter for up to a week.  When
tarragon flavor is to taste, strain out the tarragon using a fine sieve or
several layers of cheese cloth.  Return
the syrup to a clean jar, cap and refrigerate (can be stored several weeks in
refrigerator).

To
make a delicious beverage, combine 1 oz. syrup, 5 oz. sparkling water, 1 ½ oz.
vodka or tequila (optional) and ice. 
Stir and enjoy.   This pretty
syrup would also be delish over fruits.

 

Tarragon adds a complementary flavor to tattie scones

 

Tattie scones
are traditional fare for hearty Scottish breakfasts.  They are also eaten in Ireland and the rest
of the British Isles – and not just for breakfast.  They make a unique bread for a light lunch
with cheese and fresh fruits.  They are
also nice to accompany a dinner of fish or fowl.   And they are a great way to use up extra
mashed potatoes!

Many recipes
include both mashed and grated potatoes. 
Some use milk or eggs to moisten and bind the mixture.  Our recipe is a very simple one, embellished
with the flavor of tarragon.  You might
also consider adding other fresh herbs like chives or basil.  These scones can be cooked on a stovetop
griddle or baked in the oven.

 

Making Tarragon Tattie Scones

 

 

Tarragon Tattie Scones

Ingredients

 

1 cup
mashed potatoes (warm or room temperature)

2 Tbsp
melted butter



½ cup
flour



2 sprigs
(about 10 inches total) fresh Wild tarragon (2 Tbsp. minced tarragon)



Salt to
taste



 

Directions

Pre-heat
oven to 400° F (if baking in oven).  Wash
tarragon in cool water; pat dry. Remove leaves from large stems (discard – they
are too big). Mince tarragon leaves and small stems into small pieces with a
knife or scissors (see above).

 

Place
all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix
until completely blended.  If dough is
too sticky to roll, add a Tablespoon more flour, as needed.  Turn the dough out onto a flour board or
cloth.  Either divide dough into 3 balls,
then roll each ball out to a ¼ inch thick circle.  Cut each circle into 6 wedges.  Or, roll out the entire dough to ¼ inch
thickness, cut into 5- or 6-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or jar lid. Score
each round with a cross, using a knife and cutting almost through the dough.
This latter method is more traditional – and takes just a little more effort.

Bake
the scones on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes, or until risen and
golden brown.  If cooking on a griddle, pre-heat
the griddle, then sprinkle lightly with flour. 
Cook scones about 5 minutes, then flip, to cook both sides to a golden
brown.

Eat
the scones warm, right from the oven (best). 
They can also be re-heated. 
Scones can also be frozen, either after baking or unbaked, separated by
waxed paper to keep them from sticking.

 

 

 

The
last recipe has a secret ingredient that will keep your guests guessing for a
long while.  The ‘secret’ is, of course,
Wild tarragon.  We’ve tried this recipe
both with and without the tarragon; it really is much better with.

 

Citrus Surprise Coffee Cake



 



Batter





2 cups
all-purpose flour



2 tsp
baking powder



1/3 cup
granulated sugar



1 tsp
cinnamon (can substitute cardamom if desired)



1 tsp Wild
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus),
dried and finely ground



5 Tbsp
butter (best) or margarine



1 large
egg



Zest from
1 orange or 2 tangerines (about 1 Tbsp)



½ cup milk



¼ cup
orange or tangerine juice



  

Topping



1 cup
brown sugar



4 Tbsp
butter



4 Tbsp
flour



1 tsp
cinnamon (can substitute cardamom if desired)



1 cup
chopped nuts (if desired)

Preheat
oven to 375° F.   Mix together topping
ingredients in a bowl.  Mixture should be
crumbly.

To
make the batter, first sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and
spices.   Cream butter in a mixer
bowl.  Add egg and zest and mix
well.    Add dry ingredients, alternating
with the milk & juice.  

Spoon
½ of the batter into a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish or cake pan. Flour your
hands, then pat the dough to spread evening in the pan.   Sprinkle on ½ of topping mixture.  Spoon in rest of batter, smooth it, then top
with the remaining topping mixture.  
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes
out clean.

Remove
from oven.  Let cool at least 5-10
minutes.    Slice and devour!    Good warm or cool.

 

____________________________________________________

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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Plant of the Month (February) : California Poppy – Eschscholzia californica

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): Mother Nature's Garden of Health

One
of the more impressive spring perennials is the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica).  With all the other spring-blooming treasures,
we’ve yet to feature this native crowd-pleaser. 
So we’ll remedy that this month. 
The slightly tongue-tying scientific name is pronounced es-shuh-HOLES-ee-uh  cal-i-FOR-ni-cuh. The genus name honors Dr.
Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz (1793-1831), an Estonian surgeon and
botanist with Russian expeditions to the California coast in the early 1800’s.

California
poppy is the quintessential California plant; in fact, it’s the state flower.  It grows throughout much of the state, with
the exception of the hottest deserts and high elevations.  It has always been an important player in
plant communities all along the California coast.  Early explorers wrote of the ‘fields of gold’
on the coastal hillsides.   And
California poppies, some started from seeds brought back long ago, brighten
gardens throughout the world.

In
Los Angeles County, California poppy grows on Catalina Island, in the Santa
Monica Mountains, on the Palos Verdes peninsula, in the L.A. Basin (from the
coast to the San Gabriel Mountains), in the San Gabriel Mountains and in the
Antelope Valley. It was collected by Los Angeles County botanists as early as
the 1850’s.   Specimens from all the major California plant
collectors, from then to the present, reside in herbaria worldwide. 

California
poppy is a member of a wide range of plant communities, from the higher
elevation Yellow Pine, Red Fir and Lodgepole Forests, to the lower elevation Foothill
Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, Northern Coastal Scrub and Coastal
Prairie communities.  Although several
regional sub-types have been proposed, all are currently lumped under the
parent species. 

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): coastal form

The
coastal form of the poppy – still sometimes called Eschscholzia californica ssp. californica
or Eschscholzia californica ssp. maritima - is bright golden yellow with
a yellow-orange center.  We still try to
grow this form in our local gardens (and ruthlessly remove plants with ‘too
orange’ flowers).  We encourage California
gardeners to search out seed sources from their own area, to help keep the
regional types from disappearing.

The
more familiar ‘all orange’ form was originally found further inland in S.
California.  Good examples of the inland
form can be seen at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, west of
Lancaster (Los Angeles County).   Check
the wildflower hotline (http://theodorepayne.org/education/wildflower-hotline/)
for what’s blooming, and where.

 

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): re-sprouting

California
poppy is an herbaceous perennial, although it is grown as an annual wildflower
in places with cold winters or very hot summers.  Locally, plants die back to a stout woody stem/root
with hot weather, remaining dormant until the cool, moist weather of late
fall/winter. A summer rainstorm (or a little summer water) will sometimes trick
them into emerging early – if the temperatures are not too hot.  Individual plants can live many years; we
know of one in our personal garden that is 35 years and going strong.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): old plant

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): growth habit

 

Many
readers will be familiar with the appearance of California poppy.  It’s a low-growing plant, the foliage never
more than 12 inches (30 cm) tall and about as wide.  The overall shape is loosely mounded. The
leaves are pale gray-green to medium green and are finely dissected (see photo
below).  The plant has a delicate,
refined appearance.  That’s probably one
reason why gardeners like it.

 

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): leaves

 

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower bud

Many
gardeners are also familiar with California poppy’s flowers, which are usually
around 2 inches (5 cm.) wide on a slender stem. 
The flowers are simple yet uniquely beautiful; a fitting symbol of our
California natural heritage.  They have
four delicate, fan-shaped petals.  The
petals are rolled into a cylindrical bud (above) and unfurl as the flower
emerges, forming an open, bowl-shaped flower. 
Flowers open in the day and close-up at dusk (or on cloudy or windy
days).  One Spanish name for this plant
is ‘dormidera’ or ‘the sleepy one’ – perhaps in reference to the floral
closure.

 

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower unrolling

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower fully open

The
sexual parts of the flower are conspicuous above the petals.  The female parts (pistil) are centrally
located, with a stigma (top part) divided (see below).  The stamens are several to many, around the
stigma.  After pollination, the sexual
parts wither, and the developing ovary becomes more prominent (below). The
petals ultimately fall off, leaving the seed pod.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): floral parts

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): floral parts

 

The
floral architecture is relatively unspecialized and typical of the Poppy family
(Papaveraceae).   Flowers produce little nectar and are
virtually unscented.  Their pollinators
are a wide variety of insects, from beetles to pollinator flies, bees and
others.  While there are beetles, we mostly see bees visiting the flowers in our gardens.  It’s fun to watch them – whether European
Honey Bees or native species – scrambling around in the floral bowl.  The procedure’s a bit ungainly, but the bees
seem to pick up (and distribute) plenty of pollen (below).



California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): bees

California
poppies usually produce lots of seeds. 
The seeds are small, rounded and brown when ripe.  You’ll know when the seeds are ripe: the dry
pods spring open with explosive force, spreading the seeds.   If you want to collect seeds, wait until
pods become a purple-brown, almost ready to open.  Snip off the pods and place them in a
(well-closed) paper bag in a cool place. After they finish drying, separate the
seeds from the dry pod pieces; then store seeds in a labeled glass jar or
envelope in a cool, dark place.  

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica):

 seed pods

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): old pod sections

California
poppies are good naturalizers, as long as a garden is not heavily mulched.   You can let the plants go to seed – or
collect seeds and give them as gifts, if you’ve already got too many
plants.  The seedlings are very
distinctive (see below) and easy to pull up when young.  If happy, a few plants will produce offspring
throughout a garden in a year or two.  If
you need to pull up some young plants (below) you can always dry them for use
medicinally.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): seedlings

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): young plants

Eschscholzia californica
can be grown in most
soils – sandy to clay.  It does like sun
(at least half-day) and either bare soil,
thin leaf mulch or inorganic (gravel) mulch. A heavy layer of bark mulch will prevent seeds from sprouting (they
need light). Sprinkle seeds
out in garden beds with the fall rains (or in spring in colder climates).
Seedlings are very susceptible to drying out (a good way to limit their
spread).  But plants (even last year’s
plants) are very drought tolerant. 
California poppies have a stout orange taproot, allowing them to access deep
water.  In a ‘normal’ year, they may need
no supplemental water.  But in a dry California
winter, plants need watering every 2-3 weeks, if rains don’t keep the soils
moist. 

We
like to let our plants gradually dry out after blooming slows down – usually
about the end of April in our part of S. California.    Plants will die back to the ground.  After plants have gone to seed, cut the dead
leaves and stems back for a neater appearance. 
That’s really about all there is to it, since plants get along fine with
little to no summer water and no fertilizer.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): in garden

So
why include California poppies in your garden? 
A better question is ‘why not’? They are our state flower.   You can start them inexpensively from
seed.  They make a good filler between
plants or when a new garden is getting started. And they naturalize, making
them an excellent investment over time.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): good filler plant

They
provide patches of golden accent, at a time when days may be gray and
rainy.  They look absolutely glorious with
annual wildflowers, grasses and perennials. 
Since they are native to much of California, you can combine them with
your own local native palette, creating a truly authentic regional garden.  And pollinators and seed-eating birds will
thank you for your thoughtfulness.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): with

 local native plants, Madrona Marsh Nature Center



California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): with

Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus)

We
love to pair the gold of poppies with the blues and purples of Lupines,
Blue-eyed grass, the Gilias and Phacelias.  We get so many complements on these
combinations; you may want to use them in your garden as well.  And, of course, you can always find a place
for California poppy in your herb or medicinal garden. 

 





California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): in Mother Nature's

 Garden of Health

 



California
poppy seeds can be used in any recipe calling for poppy seeds.  The entire plant has long been used
medicinally as well.  Like all poppies, Eschscholzia californica produces
chemicals with sedative properties.  In the
California poppy, these chemicals are mild and apparently not
habit-forming.  In old times, an infusion
made from the whole plant was used to calm colicky babies and induce sleep in
babies and children.  The juice was
applied directly for toothache. 

A
cup of California poppy tea, made from dried plants and sweetened a bit, is a
gentle sleep aid when taken half an hour before bed time (we know – we’ve tried
it). It is reported to also help reduce anxiety, relieve headaches and
calm tense muscles and nerves.  It may
prove to be an important treatment plant for the young and elderly alike. But
as with any herbal medicine, care should
be taken when using Eschscholzia
californica.  

Adequate
clinical trials to assess dosing, safety and effectiveness of California poppy are
not yet available. The only way to determine these important properties, in a
wide range of people, is through carefully controlled and conducted medical
studies.  Until we have clear,
scientific-based evidence, California poppy should be taken with caution, and
only after consulting a medical practitioner. 
For more on the medicinal uses and cautions, see the references
below.

In
summary, California poppy is a plant that belongs in California gardens.  It’s our state flower and we’d love to see
entire neighborhoods blanketed in yellow, as they were in times gone by. This
plant is an important part of our natural heritage; an easy way to celebrate the
place we call home.   And we welcome non-California
gardeners to enjoy a bit of California gold in their own gardens.   We’re
always happy to share the wealth!

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): with Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

 

For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-eschscholzia-californica

For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/eschscholzia-californica-web-show

For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

 

__________

1.       https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-104-california%20poppy.aspx?activeingredientid=104&

2.       https://examine.com/supplements/eschscholzia-californica/

3.       http://www.herbal-supplements-guide.com/california-poppy-seed.html

4.       https://healthywildandfree.com/california-poppy-health-benefits/

5.       https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/california-poppy-herb.html

 

 

 

We
welcome your comments (below).  You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

 

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