December
2007
Smart Fuel: Tarragon
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Artemisia dracunculus L.
Tarragon is for more than fish. This overlooked but deliciously sweet, rich herb offers major flavor and health benefits. Tarragon has a strong fragrance and a slight licorice taste, but it also has subtle earthy notes – it’s a bit fuller in flavor than basil, and not quite as sharp, either. You can interchange tarragon for basil in recipes for a slightly mellower, sweeter taste and a softer, more velvety texture. Is your mouth watering yet? Tarragon, a perennial, is easy to grow, too. It’s really only good fresh.
Tarragon is very low in calories, like most greens and herbs, and like purslane, contains some Omega-3’s. It has natural antimicrobial properties and contains generous amounts of many nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and trace minerals. The primary benefit of tarragon is the fiber, but we think the aromatherapeutic benefit is a close second!
smleon Flickr Photo (CC)
Further Reading:
Technorati Tags: tarragon, sage, lavender, oregano, purslane, healthy herbs, omega 3
This sounds pretty good, does any other herb have omega 3’s in it. Having omega 3’s in a herb simply can’t be bad.
I like the term Artemisia dracunculus better than tarragon. It sounds like an herb Dumbledore might use. He might say something like, “Sprinkle some more dracunculus on my bat gizzards, Minerva.”
I thought tarragon was an annual. I certainly have never succeeded in overwintering it.
How is this to be cooked? Or is it better raw?
It’s more of an than a vegetable, so it depends on the dish you are making. If it’s a cooked dish, you’d add a little minced tarragon near the end of cooking. If it’s a raw dish, like a salad dressing, the tarragon would be raw, too.
One of my favorite things to do with tarragon is to make a vinaigrette with chopped shallots, white wine vinegar, good quality olive oil, and a little tarragon (maybe about a half teaspoon per tablespoon of oil). It’s good on green salads or steamed veggies, or even drizzled on steamed or baked chicken or fish.
My previous comment made no sense. I meant, “It’s more of an HERB than a vegetable.”