| |
| |
|
Landscaping & Gardening Information |
|
|
|
Tarragon: A Favourite of French Chefs
Long a favourite of French chefs, the herb Artemisia dracunculus, known as French tarragon or dragon herb is an essential ingredient in Béarnaise sauce, tarragon vinegar, and certain Dijon mustards. A perennial herb, tarragon grows 2 - 4 feet (60 - 120 cm) and has dark, shiny, narrow grey-green leaves about 3 inches (8 cm) long with smooth edges. Tarragon produces tiny yellow flowers and has stems that are ridged, round, branching, and light green. Tarragon is rich in Vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and potassium, and has a mild anise flavour in its leaves. Although it is not the easiest of herbs to grow, tarragon can be grown in containers. Plant into a pot 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter or larger. Purchase plants from your greenhouse, garden catalogue, or propagate by cuttings or root division. Do not purchase seeds, as they are generally sterile. If potting up outdoor plants for indoor use, plant by mid-summer. The plants should be exposed to cold, at least 4° C (39° F) for a month before bringing inside, as the plants require a period of dormancy. Tarragon grows best in full sun although it will tolerate filtered sun. This plant likes warm, dry, well-drained, light soils. Do not overwater as tarragon is susceptible to root rot in soggy soil. Indoors, tarragon requires 5 hours of direct sunlight a day. Place in an eastern or southern exposure and turn plants frequently to ensure all sides receive equal light. If growing under fluorescents, hang lights 6 inches (15 cm) above plants and leave on 14 hours a day. In the garden, tarragon is a good companion to all plants. In the kitchen, tarragon is something very special and particularly good for flavouring vinegar. To make tarragon vinegar, place a large sprig in a sterilized bottle or glass jar, bring white wine vinegar to a boil and pour in enough to cover. Seal and store away from light. In addition to the above, other uses for tarragon include: hollandaise sauce, tartar sauce, vinaigrettes, seafood salads, dressings for tossed green salads, tomato soup, chicken broth, seafood cocktails, scrambled eggs, omelettes, spinach and mushroom dishes, meat dishes, fish, veal, poultry, mustard sauces, and quiche. Add a few leaves of tarragon to the boiling water of spinach, tomatoes, peas, cauliflower, and cabbage to enhance their flavour. When steaming vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, peas, and summer squash, season them with tarragon butter. To make tarragon butter, mix together 2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter to 1 tsp. (5 mL) finely chopped tarragon, 1 tsp. (5 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sea salt to taste. This butter can be stored in the freezer. Use tarragon sparingly as it has a flavour that diffuses quickly through dishes. Add the leaves when your dish is just about ready to serve as tarragon takes but a few minutes of cooking time. Tarragon can be stored fresh in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, frozen in ice cubes trays, or preserved in white wine vinegar or oil and packed in sealed, sterilized jars. Tarragon can also be dried in a warm, well-ventilated place. Strip the leaves from the stems before storing. Dried leaves should be kept in a cool, preferably dark place in airtight containers. Gwen Nyhus Stewart, B.S.W., M.G., H.T., is an educator, freelance writer, garden consultant, and author of the book The Healing Garden: A Place Of Peace - Gardening For The Soil, Gardening For The Soul and the booklet Non-toxic Alternatives For Everyday Cleaning And Gardening Products. She owns the website Gwen's Healing Garden where you will find lots of free information about gardening for the soil and gardening for the soul. To find out more about the books and subscribe to her free Newsletter visit http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca Gwen Nyhus Stewart © 2004 - 2005. All rights reserved.
MORE RESOURCES:
Landscaping-Gardening - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Growing Tomatoes Organically Tomato Seeds Vs. Tomato Seedlings?Whether you start your own tomato seeds or buy tomato seedlings, growing them organically will produce healthier plants and better tasting tomatoes. 5 Simple Steps to Care For Your Push Reel Mower Though most Push Reel Mowers made today are durable, they do require some basic care and simple maintenance in order to keep them running smoothly. Taking the following steps will ensure you have years of use on your push reel mower. The Rich History of Wild Roses Wild roses, of the genus Rosa, are those naturally occurring natives found in Northern Hemispheres around the globe. Wild Roses can be found in forests, canyons, logged wastelands and thickets. Gardeners Gift Ideas Plant lovers and backyard enthusiasts are special people who will love your thoughtfulness when you chose a garden gift for them. If someone you know spends more than ninety percent of their day pruning and pairing, selecting garden gifts for their next birthday or anniversary might be the perfect token of your appreciation. Orchid Myths -The Truth Here are some of the popular orchid myths#1 Orchids are CarnivorousThey are not, in fact, they pollinate by luring insects to them but they do not eat the insects. This helps the orchid gardeningOrchid Myths#2 Orchids come from the TropicsSome orchid flowers do come from the tropical climates but they grow in any climate and in any country, even Alaska. The Ivy League Parthenocissus tricuspidata is commonly known as Boston Ivy, Cottage Ivy, or Japanese Ivy. It covers the exterior walls of a number of prestigious northeastern universities and is probably responsible for the term "Ivy League. How to Grow Avocado Fruit gardening and vegetable gardening is a very exciting venture. Growing Avocado's was one of the challenges I took on as a hobby fruit and vegetable gardener. Themes of Shade A Shade Garden can be created in any of several different types of shade. It can be in the mottled shade that comes from a broad leaf tree to the deep dark woods mentioned in Robert Frost's "Stopping by A Woods on A Snowy Evening". Teak Furniture - How to Care for it Properly Many finer homes and businesses feature beautiful indoor and outdoor furniture made from teak. Although the obvious reason is the beauty that comes from teak, there are many benefits to choosing this type of wood. Theme Gardens Flower gardens are for enjoyment. They provide you with visual beauty, the joy of working with soil and plants, and the pride of showing others what you have created. Teak Umbrella : Add the Final Touch to Your Patio Okay, so you have agonized for weeks and finally went out and purchased that gorgeous teak patio table that you have had your eye on for quite a while. And now that it is nestled away in that perfect spot on your deck, you realize that the only thing that would make you love your teak table even more is the addition of an umbrella. Gardenscape On A Shoestring Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn't necessarily true. Outdoor Furniture: Exploring the Benefits of Teak Of the many types of materials that are available for the construction of outdoor furniture, teak is often overlooked. This beautiful wood - of tropical origin - adds character and elegance to your outdoor design through a blending of nature and man-made elements which provide an outstanding aesthetic presentation to any yard. Plant Hardiness Zones When selecting plants for the landscape, is important to select plants that will grow in your climate. The United States has 10 of growing or climate zones. 10 Free Gardening Products One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result.. Wild Flower Garden - Plan to Plant In the previous article I discussed design for your new wild flower garden. The next stage is planning the planting. June Gardening Tips These are just a few gardening tips for you to consider here in late June. Many people seem to think that just because all the plants have been put into their places for the summer and your perennials are blooming, or past bloom, there is no more work to be done. Riding Lawn Mowers Most riding lawn mowers are machines fun ride and extremely cool to look at. However, they are just a dream for many gardeners who can not afford one of these powerful gardening equipment. For the Birds: Selecting and Placing a Bird House Bird watching brings enjoyment to many people. Selecting and correct placement of bird house can attract many birds to your yard. Teak Planters - Accent Your Outdoor Space with One Do you want to add something to your outdoor space that will take it from beautiful to breathtaking? Do you have all of the right teak furniture but feel that something is missing, some accent that will truly make your space unique and worthy of only the highest praise? If so, maybe you should accent your outdoor space with teak planters.Teak planters can be a gorgeous addition to any outdoor space whether it is a formal garden, porch, poolside or entryway because they are beautifully constructed with the highest quality of standards using only the finest Javanese teak.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
