The plant is believed to be native to Siberia and has only been cultivated for around 600 years. It is thought to have been brought to Italy around the 10th century by invading Mongols who used it as a sleep aid, breath freshener and seasoning. The French variety is cultivated in Europe, particularly France and Spain, and in North America.
Tarragon leaves are bright green in colour and have a mild taste of aniseed. It’s a low growing herb so it is best placed at the front of your herb garden. Tarragon does not cope during a hard winter, so Gill and Carol find it’s best to grow from seed fresh every year. When you harvest your herb just cut the spider-like branches and tie and hang them up and dry in your kitchen. Once dry the leaves will simply come off the branch as you run your 2 fingers down, they should automatically crumble then pop in a jar, date, and again keep in a dark cupboard.
This week Gill has included a delicious sautéed leek and tarragon recipe for you to try
Sautéed leeks with tarragon
Ingredients
- Leek
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Bunch of tarragon
- Serve on salmon or chicken
Method
- Slice into rings and wash leeks in a colander under the cold tap, then shake and towel dry by patting them.
- With a knob of butter in some olive oil add the sliced washed leeks, add plenty of dried or fresh tarragon leaves and gentle fry until soft. Then serve on the side with grilled salmon or chicken.
We hope you have learned something new today and for those of you who try out any of the recipes be sure to tag @GrimscoteManor in photos of your delicious sautéed leeks with tarragon. We’d love to see them!
