(Artemisia dracunculus)
The Basics:
Tarragon, sometimes known by the less attractive name of “dragon’s-wort,” is a small, bushy plant with long, thin green leaves and wiry stems. French tarragon, with its spicy licorice flavor, is the varietal most frequently used for culinary purposes, but there is a less flavorful varietal with longer, wider leaves commonly known as Russian tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus L.). Interestingly, there is an entirely different species of plant that has come to be known as winter tarragon (Tagetes lucida) because it tastes so much like French tarragon. A member of the marigold family, winter tarragon can substitute for French in a pinch.
Planting Instructions:
To propagate tarragon from cuttings, take six inch pieces of stem from mature plants in late spring. Remove the lower leaves, and plant in seeding pots filled with sand. In mid-summer, roots should be forming, and plants can be transferred outside where they should be planted a foot apart in a sunny patch of well drained soil.
Fun Facts:
The word “tarragon” comes from the French word “estragon” meaning “little dragon,” hence the nickname “dragon’s-wort.”
Nutritional Properties:
Some people think tarragon can cure a toothache. Sadly, this may not be true, but it can cure your sweet tooth! Try making a little grapefruit tarragon sorbet, and you’ll be pain-free in no time!
How to Use:
Besides being an unusual but delectable pairing for citrus fruit, tarragon’s vibrant and slightly spicy flavor adds excitement to normally mild foods like scrambled eggs, butter, cream cheese, and even buttermilk biscuits. Tarragon chicken salad is a delicious twist on a classic recipe that can sometimes be a little bland. Combine shredded white meat chicken with fresh chopped celery, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and lots of fresh tarragon and parsley, and you’ll have a chicken salad that is both the best thing since sliced bread and its perfect accompaniment.
