Tarragon and Beets Makes a Delicious Treat

I have an abundance of the herb, French tarragon. When I'd first planted it a few years ago, I treated it like parsley: as an annual that I'd have to replant yearly if I liked it. So it was a surprise to find it is actually a perennial up here in Zone 3. Even tilling over it (two years in a row) failed to cause its death. Last summer I found it emerging in the midst of my green beans, so I dug it up and planted it on the northeast edge of the garden where it would be safe from the tiller. It likes it there. The original plant likes being in the middle of the garden where I first planted it. It's flourishing in one of my rows of peas and is taller than the pea fence.

This past week I've cut off several fronds of the tarragon. It had been blowing into the electric fence, shorting it out. I've been drying it in the microwave for use next winter. Drying herbs in the microwave is fairly easy, although it can be time-consuming. You strip off the leaves (stems rarely have any value), pile them on a paper plate lined with a paper towel (or napkin). Layer another paper towel on top and zap away. With about a cup of dry leaves, I'll give them 45-60 seconds for the first zap. Then turn the paper towel sandwich over (carefully, so leaves don't fall out), uncover and fluff, then zap again for 15 seconds less than the first time. Continue this sequence until the leaves are dried out enough to crunch. Don't leave any moisture or they'll mold later, so it's better to over-dry a little. However, watch closely (don't leave the room!) because I have over-dried too much and almost started a fire in the microwave. The plate and a few leaves were scorched. You can store the dried, crumbled herbs in an airtight container on the counter, or in baggies kept in the freezer.

The beets are also thriving. In fact, since each beet seed can and will form multiple beets, they're in need of thinning. I used my first batch of thinnings to make Ina Garten's Roasted Beets - sort of. I didn't have enough small beets to equal 12 full-sized ones, so I adjusted the amounts as I deemed necessary. Also, it was too hot to have the oven on, so I boiled them, skinned them, and then cooked them in a pot on top of the stove. I didn't have raspberry vinegar (a condition soon to be rectified) so added juice from my thawed raspberries to some rice wine vinegar instead. The result was a fine addition to my meal. But you can follow the recipe as written, or not.

Ina Garten's Roasted Beets

12 beets

3 Tbl olive oil

1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbl raspberry vinegar

Juice of 1 large orange

Heat oven to 400°. Remove tops and roots from beets, then peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut into 1 1/2" chunks. Place on a baking sheet and toss with oil, thyme, and seasonings. Roast 35-40 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender. Remove from oven and toss with vinegar and juice. Serve warm.

I didn't waste the beet tops, either. They're filled with calcium and other nutritious things. I made the following salad with them, minus the cucumber. If you don't have agave nectar (mine disappeared), you can use simple sugar. I forgot I had some of that in the fridge, so I used Triple Sec with a bit of sugar added. If you let the marinade set on the greens longer, those greens will soften up and be less bitter. But I couldn't wait, and I liked it as it was.

Beet Green Salad

6 C beet greens, cut in 1/2" strips

1/4 C basil, sliced thin

1/4 C parsley, sliced thin

2 Tbl olive oil

1 Tbl balsamic vinegar

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 tsp stone ground mustard

1 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl agave nectar

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1/2 C Kalamata olives, sliced

Toss beet greens with basil and parsley. Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, soy sauce, and nectar together until well combined. Pour over the greens and gently toss until evenly coated. Top with remaining ingredients and serve.

You can add shredded beets, sunflower seeds, hemp nuts, or sprouts, if desired.