Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Tarragon Recipes


Hello all! While I was working in the garden this week, I came across a herb that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. So, this weekend, I went on a hunt on uses and recipes for tarragon. It turns out that tarragon is a tasty and useful herb. According to WebMD, it's used to treat digestion problems, start menstruation and help sleep. As a disclaimer WebMD warns pregnant or nursing women not to have tarragon in medical doses, as it may start menstruation and effect pregnancy. It can also be used in certain soaps and cosmetics.

Here are a few of the recipes I found and tried out. This one I found on allrecipes.com.  It had a five star rating and when I made it, the taste was fantastic! 

Mathew's Bearnaise Sauce
1/4 c. White Vinegar
1/4 c. White Wine
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 egg yokes
1/2 c. melted butter
1 tbsp minced shallots

1. Combine the vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon, salt and pepper in a sauce pan. Boil over medium heat until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remains. Strain the liquid into a large bowl. 
2. Bring several inches of water to a boil in the sauce pan over high heat, then reduce until barely a simmer. Whisk the egg yokes into the liquid reduction, then put the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk until the eggs are thick and have turned a pale lemon color. When the yoke mixture come out like ribbons when lifted from the bowl, remove from heat.
3. Slowly pour the butter into the egg yoke while stirring quickly. The sauce will separate from the butter if not stirred quickly and continuously. You'll know it's done when the sauce is thick and creamy. Serve immediately.
It tastes great over fish, chicken, red meat and various vegetables. I asked a few of my friends if they knew any good recipes. One of them had a good snack suggestion. She has it with feta and pita bread along with slices of cucumber and tomato with salt on them. Its a great summer snack. The best part? You can get most of the ingredients from you very own garden!  

Another delicious way of using tarragon would be oils or vinaigrette. An simple old family recipe I found is as follows: 
Ingredients needed:
1 Mason jar of any size
5 or 6 tarragon sprigs (about 1 cup)
1 1/2-2 cups white wine vinegar depending on the size of jar

First of all, wash the tarragon under cool running water. Then, put the sprigs in the mason jar, fill halfway with wine vinegar and lightly crush the leaves so that they looks bruised. This will release the oils in the tarragon. Add apple cider vinegar until about 3/4 full, stir leaves and fill the rest of the jar with the white wine vinegar. If you want, you may add any spices to taste. Seal the jar and let the vinaigrette sit in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks. Enjoy! Keep in mind that this recipe can be used for other herbs as well.

I hope you all have a blessed and fulfilled day. Try out one of the recipes above. They are delicious, nutritious and many of the ingredients can be found in your garden.


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