Tarragon ~

[Cecilia_MD7a]

Tomstrees - don't laugh - I really might be able to send you a rooted sprig, if you can reimburse me for postage. I've mailed rooted cuttings safely in the past. Normally, I just pot them up, water them well, put them in a sealed ziplock bag, box them, and mail them. (Just like the mail-order nurseries!) Sometimes I don't even bother potting them up, but just wrap the roots in paper towels. You're only in NJ so the plants wouldn't be traveling for very long.

Alternatively, do you know about the big plant swap next month in Burtonsville Maryland? There's information on the Mid-Atlantic forum of THAT OTHER SITE. I can bring a tarragon division there, if you feel like a day trip.

Then again, you could just go to a really good local nursery and buy a small plant for a buck and a half. That's how I got mine originally.

[Tomstrees]

sorry Cecilia_MD7a it took me so long to reply ~
Swamped here @ work ~
How much do you think it would cost?
PM me if you think it would be worth it ~

I can see if I can make it next month ...
Whats the date ?
I thought it was in Aug. ?
or is that a "fruit tasting" (like wine tasting)
and this is a plant swap?

I'll check the posts ~

Thanks,
Tom

[Cecilia_MD7a]

Tomstrees -

Mid-Atlantic Spring Plant Swap is May 6. This includes all kinds of ornamental & edible plants & gardening-related paraphernalia (magazines, pots, manure, etc.). There are usually a lot of folks with tomato seedlings that they need to unload.

MAGTAG (Tomato tasting and festival) is August 26.

And to make things even more confusing, there will probably be a Fall Swap in October.

[Tomstrees]

Ok ~

I'll see whats doin during those times,
and if I can make it,
head over to the MAGTAG thread ~

Thanks,

Tom

[Tomstrees]

Hope everyones had, or having a banner year ~

Now that I have alot of Tarragon -
How do I cut / store it ?
Chop it up ? Leave the sprigs whole ?

~ Tom

[username5]

I have found French Tarragon very easy to grow. A buddy replaced his annually as it wouldn't come back. He was mulching it in the winter and wasn't using raised soil at all.

When he raised the area a few inches and stopped using mulch it overwintered fine in zone 5 Wisconsin (spring is too wet to use mulch here on things that prefer it dry).

Mine is 3 years old and I just transplanted it into a new raised bed.

Treat it like a Mediteranean plant and you should have good luck with it. Low fertility and low water.

[Tomstrees]

Thanks for the info ~
Mine is in a half barrel ...
I wonder if it will come back ?

How do you store / dry it for culinary use ?
Crush the leaves ? Leave them whole ?

~ Tom

here's a pic from early in the summer ~

[Grub]

Tom,

I had a load of the real McCoy French Tarragon last year.

The best thing I did was by some bottles with sealable swing tops, just like a Grolsch beer. Y'know the ones?

I stuffed in a pile of washed sprigs. Then I got a funnel and poured some white-wine vinegar in the bottle covering Tarragon. Sealed and put in a dark cupboard. Wait three months.

Maaan, that Tarragon Vinegar is great!

In fall or winter you must do this:

Low-fat Topping for Fish, Pork or Chicken.

1. Take one tub of plain (low-fat is good) yogurt and tip in a bowl.
2.Take one ice-cube worth of defrosted Chopped Tarragon from that which you have frozen and bagged up.
3. Add a dollop of French dijon mustard.
4. Add a good splash of homemade Tarragon vinegar and a little home-grown lemon juice.
5. Optional: You can add capers (washed) or even chopped gerkin if you like.
6. Mix, taste, and adjust seasoning. It will be sour, tarragony, mustardy and YUMMMM.

Leave sauce at room temperature and sear two serves of Salmon Fillet, or poach two free-range Chicken Breasts, or wrap a Proscuito-covered Pork Fillet in foil, , douse in white wine or verjuice, and cook in pan for 20 minutes. Rest under foil.

Prepare mixed greens. Take top of bottle of white wine. Assemble dinner setting. Light candles.

Serve white meat with dollop of sauce on top and side serves of greens with dinner roll. Dill makes a fine garnish.

This is my favourite low-fat fish/chicken/sauce with Frenchy taste and none of the fat.

Report back.

NOW IF YOU CAN TELL ME HOW TO GROW DILL FOR MORE THAN ABOUTT A MONTH BEFORE IT ROTS I WILL BE HAPPY!!!

[Tomstrees]

lol ~ I DO know the bottles your talking about
(Grolsch, love it, lol) ...

Stems and all huh ??
I had to edit this a couple of times ...
Noticed you told me which vinegar to use ...

We are cooks at home - Thes misses has a family cook book thants been handed down from Poland that started in 1800's.

Last night, I made beef stroganoff with filet mignon!!!
(a local store has a sale for filet mignon - 5lb for $20! ; the "ends" after cutting individual protions for freezing went right in!)
Was awesome ... todays lunch !

I'm 100% going to try that recipe you posted ~
Prob. this Sunday ~

Tom

ps. will post about your Dill-ly-o problem ~

[Grub]

Yes, yes, stems and all.

Just wash Tarragon stems with leaves. Dry. Then pop in the bottle of vinegar. (Maybe Grolsh fliptops could be reused?). Steep and reap.

You won't be sorry. The Tarragon Vinegar sauce is just great with white meats of all kinds.

I'm going to dehydrate a lot of herbs this year.

[Tomstrees]

The misses was thrilled tonight when I showed her
that recipe ; and I also told her about the vinegar ~

My grandparents tell me if you want to eat "healthier" ,
learn how to use herbs and spices ~

Herbs add what is "missing" sometimes when you
start taking out salts & fats ... you know ?

Anywho - been growing and drying my own
herbs for years now -

This IS my first year for tarragon ...
Unfortunatley ; pretty sure I have the Russian one (grown from seed). Still tastes good ~
Just not the "real macoy" ~

Heres to hoping it comes back in 2007 ! Cheers !

~ Tom


(TYW)

[Grub]

We're really health conscious with our food here too, so any sauce that is so flavourful, low fat and capable of transcending a piece of meat, chicken or fish is great.

Herbs and spices, vinegars, pounded pastes, low-fat sauces and marinades, veggies, baked parcels, etc, are go. The Tarragon Sauce is the best thing I've found for the stuff. Period.

[Tomstrees]

I had no idea about Basil and oregano
for vinegar as well ~
Looks like I'm going to have
other uses for my surplus of herbs !

~ Tom

[Grub]

Dehydrate. Dried oregano. One whiff and I'm thinking PIZZZZZZZZAAAAA.

[Tomstrees]

I agree - dried oregano can't be beat ~

I've also been using my dehydrator the past couple years to dry my peppers for a "hot-pepper -shake" on my pizza as well ; mostly just seeds / dried pepper flesh .... been great ~

I also use it to make what I call:
"Toms Green Heat" ...
a super hot combination of ground
up hot peppers with some sea-salt, onion powder,
and garlic powder for some extra "kick" on just about anything !

~ Tom