June 2nd Harvest...

June 2nd's anticipated harvest~

lettuce

pea shoots

flowering yukina savoy

Greens mix of mizuna, purple osaka, baby pac choy & spinach

spring onions

garlic scapes

oregano & dill

Green mix & pea shoots: See May 5th & May 12th harvest info.

Flowering yukina savoy:

It's not flowering in this picture....

Yukina savoy has dark, crispy cabbage-like leaves. It can withstand temperature which makes it very tasty in sauteed or wilted recipes! I've used it raw in slaws and salads. We planted the yukina under row cover to protect it as much as possible from flea beetle damage, and with the hot temperature rise over the last week it has now flowered, but no worries! It is excellent even with the tender flowering stock.... just treat it like the turnip shoots or broccoli raab.  

Wild garlic scapes:

Garlic scapes are the tender stems sent out by the plant to produce seed and boy are they delicious! These delicate scapes are from wild & domestic garlic here on the farm. They are so tender and are great added to anything!!!! To cook them, lightly saute or add them to soup stock or stir fry etc... 

Oregano:

A popular herb whose name means "mountain joy". Oregano contains oils, so naturally it's flavor is lost via high heat.  It retains its flavor better with hot dishes when added toward the end of cooking. (Just like tarragon and chervil). Heating too long results in bitterness.  Oregano's signature flavor is in many Italian, Mexican and Spanish dishes.

Creamy Yogurt Oregano Dip:

This would make a great sauce for falafel, hamburgers, or just crackers or vegetables as dip devices.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Plain Greek (strained) yogurt (see note below)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 spring onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons snipped garlic scapes
1 quick dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate to develop flavors, at least 2 hours. Serve as a thick sauce for lamb burgers, falafel, as a dip plate, etc.

*Greek Yogurt Note: it's a strained therefore thicker yogurt. You can make your own too: Set strainer over 4-cup measuring cup. Line strainer with paper towel. Add yogurt to strainer; chill until yogurt is thick (about 1 cup liquid will drain from yogurt), at least 2 hours or overnight.

Grilled New Potatoes & Asparagus with Creamy Dill-Chervil Sauce Recipe:

Asparagus Ingredients:

New potatoes (cut in half ) & asparagus lightly coated with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.

Dressing ingredients:1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1-2 tablespoons water or broth
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh baby dill
1 tablespoon snipped  garlic scapes

1 teaspoon sugar *(always optional)

Preparation:

1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. Adjust with more lemon juice, water, or broth to achieve desired taste and consistency.
2.Grill new  potatoes on grill over medium high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork, stirring potatoes occasionally. Around 50 minutes. Grill asparagus in a single layer 10–12 minutes (depending on thickness), or until tender and dark green.
3. Arrange grilled asparagus and potatoes on a serving dish and drizzle with dressing. Serve extra dressing on the side.

May 26th Harvest....

May 26th's hopeful harvest~

new potatoes (red & purple)

 pac choy

pea shoots & scallion blossoms

spinach

yukina savoy

spring onions

flowering chives

chervil, tarragon

Pac choy, Pea shoots, spinach, yukina savoy:

See May 5th & 12th harvest info.

Scallion blossoms (picture above):

These heads of tiny flowering blossoms create a wonderful burst of oniony flavor! Just pull the small closed blossoms off of the thin green stems and sprinkle them on or in anything you would like a splash of onion flavor. Don't heat them, they will wilt and loose most of their flavor. Use them raw in salads, top with pizza , in pasta and anti pasta dishes, in dips and spreads - get creative! They're delish!!!

Chervil:

Chervil has a lemon- anise flavor. Because chervil contains oils the flavor is lost when over-heated or when dried. Use raw when possible or add in at the end of cooking. Despite it's fragile appearance, it keeps well for around a week in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Subtlety is key when using chervil in cooking. Although chervil will never dominate a dish, it is used to enhance the flavors of other herbs accompanying it in recipes.  Chervil is an important inclusion in the traditional French fines herbes blend of tarragon, parsley, chives and chervil. Chervil complements egg dishes such as quiche, scrambled eggs and omelets; fish; chicken; light sauces; dressings; cream cheese and herb sandwiches. Their attractive leaves are often used as an additional kick to salads. Chervil is also the distinct herb used in Bearnaise sauce. Enjoy this spring herb while you can, soon it will be missed!

New Potatoes (baby potatoes):

New potatoes are early spring potatoes that have immature skin and are rarely if ever peeled. They haven't  had much time to convert their sugar into starch and are prized for their high water content and creamy texture and because they can be cooked whole. The excess moisture makes them waxy and not good candidates for baking or frying. They are best in soups, steamed, roasted or used in dishes like potato salads. They do not store for a long time, so use them within a week or so. 

Chervil herb butter recipe: Use on roasted vegetables; corn on the cob; top a dollop on sliced radishes & chill for an awesome snack or appetizer - possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons minced chervil
• *2 tablespoons tarragon (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• *garnish with scallion blossoms or chopped chives

Preparation:

In a small bowl mix all ingredients together until creamy.

Variation - Chervil butter sauce recipe:  Use with sauteed chicken, freshly steamed shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, oysters or poached white fish etc...

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons minced spring onions
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup chervil leaves minced
• 4 tablespoons tarragon leaves minced 

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the wine with the spring onions, lemon juice and salt and boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half.

2. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth.

3. Turn off the heat and add the chervil to the gently warmed sauce. *(Option) To get a better flavor : add the chervil to a blender then pour the butter sauce over the chervil, blend until smooth and serve at once.

  

Preserve chervil in white wine vinegar:

This is a wonderful vinegar for garden salads, salad dressings or in fish sauces etc.

• 1/2 cup chervil leaves
• 1/2 cup tarragon leaves
• 2 cups white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

Preparation:
1. Warm the vinegar over low heat. combine herbs and vinegar in a bottle or glass jar with cork or lid.

2. Leave in container at room temperature (steep) and taste after a week or two then filter (or let it steep longer until the flavor is to your liking).

New Potatoes & chervil recipe:

• 2 pounds new potatoes washed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chervil
• 4 tablespoons minced tarragon
• fresh ground sea salt & ground pepper to taste
• garnish with scallion blossoms

Preparation:

1. Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of heavily salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and set a steamer basket inside. Reduce heat to low so the water is simmering.

2. Place potatoes in the steamer basket. (If you don't have a steam basket, just add the potatoes without one). Cover the pot and steam potatoes until they are fork tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the steamer basket and potatoes from the pot, drain remaining water, and place potatoes back in the pot to steam dry, about 5 minutes.

3. Add butter and season with freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir until potatoes are coated in butter. Transfer potatoes to a large plate, sprinkle with tarragon, chervil & scallion blossoms and serve.

May 19th harvest

May  19th's expected harvest~
stinging nettles

baby pac choy

purple Osaka

mature spinach

turnip shoot blossoms (yellow)

yukina savoy

spring onions

garlic leaves

pea shoots & scallion blossoms

flowering chives

cilantro, lemon balm & rosemary

Mature spinach,  stinging nettles, baby pac choy, garlic leaves & turnip shoot blossoms: See May 5ths harvest info.

More than just food......
Stinging Nettle Hair Lotion Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup nettle leaf
3 cups water
Directions:
Simmer nettles in three cups of water. Strain. Rub into hair and scalp every other night for soft, shiny hair. Keep refrigerated.

Purple Osaka:

 

The purple Osaka is a Japanese mustard green, that has a mild peppery taste. As the leaves get older the bite is more peppery, so taste test and decide according to your palate if you wish to use raw (where it will stay spicy) or cooked (which will tame them down a bit). If you would prefer to eat them raw and spicy, just add little bits as if it were adding pepper to a salad and mix it up with other salad leaves. Good to know- as they mature and get darker purple they can add a tint of purple to light color ingredients when cooked together.  They still retain lots of flavor, even though the heat is muted when cooked.  They add an  excellent color and flavor to a pot of soup, or  they can be braised, steamed, wilted & sauteed just like any other green. They are great leaves to have around as they complement many other vegetables like, onions, garlic, other greens, cabbage, and potatoes. They an be pickled or made into an excellent pesto! We can all look forward to seeing them flower in the summer, because the flowers can  be used as edible garnishes, and frozen in ice cubes to dress up spicy tomato based drinks! (hint hint!)  

Ricotta Purple Osaka Pesto Recipe: 
1 cup of raw purple Osaka leaves

little olive oil

1/2 cup of ricotta cheese (less if you like it hot, more if you like it cooler)

Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Add salt to taste.

Spinach/Osaka mozzarella with anchovies and lemon balm dressing: There are two ways to make this recipe... cooked  an raw.
The cooked version is as followed.  (But use the Osaka raw if the spice doesn't bother you).

3 salt-cured anchovies, rinsed well, backbone removed fillets, split in half lengthwise

3 ounces of fresh mozzarella sliced

1 large egg

1 1/2 cup purple Osaka

1 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups spinach 

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation for salad:

1. Separately chop the Osaka, and the spinach.

2. Arrange a bed of spinach on the plate or bowl.

3. Put eggs in medium saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer 7 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs into ice water to chill. Peel eggs and cut in half crosswise and place with spinach. 

3. Heat pan and add the oil and lightly saute anchovies. Add purple Osaka to wilt gently. 

4. Remove from heat and add to allow to cool, then add Osaka to the spinach and reserve anchovies for the top of the salad.

5. Next sprinkle lemon zest and add the sliced mozzarella and top with anchovies and then finally the dressing.

Lemon Balm dressing Recipe:

1/4 cup oil
4 Tablespoons of fresh garlic leaves chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped lemon balm

1 tablespoon chives blossoms pulled off of stem and separate the little flowers.

Mix together well.

Lemon Balm:

Fresh leaves can be stored in plastic bags in the fridge for a few days or they can be frozen.

It is a member of the mint family and contains essential oils and is less potent and should be added at the end of cooking. Because of it's delicate lemon flavor it is used in any recipe that calls for lemon. It's a wonderful addition to fruit salads, green salads, herb butters, fruit drinks, sorbets. It can also be used in egg dishes, custards, soups and casseroles. It works well in stuffings for poultry, lamb or pork. Its subtle flavour is perfect for sauces and marinades for fish.  Chopped leaves can add zest to sweet or spicy dishes. It combines well with allspice, pepper, mint, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, chervil... and others.

Lemon Balm Tea:
2 tablespoons of fresh leaves for each cup of boiling water
(or make sun tea by placing herbs and cool water in covered jar in the sun for a few hours)
strain add honey and, or lemon.

Yukina Savoy:

Delicious mustard green with a mild flavor. Great in salads, wraps, sandwiches and also tolerates a high temperature. Treat it like any other Asian green.

Pea shoots & scallion and chive blossoms:

Pea shoots and scallion blossoms will be sharing the bag together. Pea blossoms may be eaten raw on sandwiches, in salads or wraps. You may also wish to wilt them for a softer texture. To wilt, toss in at the end of any cooked dish.  The scallion and chive blossoms are a delicious, delicate edible flower with a beautiful burst of onion flavor.  They are great garnished on top of any salad, pizza, pasta and mixed in with dressings. Many possibilities! Dont' apply heat with these or they will wilt!

Here is an excellent link with many pea shoot recipes:

http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/05/17/top-ten-pea-shoot-recipes-in-season-now/

May 12th harvest

The expected harvest for this Thursday is going to be a little slim on quantity.... due to the many rains our fields have endured. Peas seed has flooded, lettuce drowned and carrots too, but we have strawberry blossoms galore!

May 12th's expected harvest~

mature spinach

baby pac choy greens

mizuna

stinging nettles

turinp shoots and blossoms

garlic leaves

wild ramps

blooming chives

herbs - tarragon, thyme, oregano

& ginger mint!

Mature spinach, mizuna, wild ramps, turnip shoots and blossoms and tarragon: 

See harvest info for May 5th.

Baby pac choy greens:

This small bundle of pac choy greens can be used in salads or wraps, on sandwiches or toss in at the end of a stir-fry. They are very young and delicate, so I would suggest to use them as you would lettuce leaf.

Stinging Nettles:

Yes - they do sting! The nettles will be in a bag for you to transport without getting stung.  Soaking nettles in water or cooking will remove the sting from the plant, and then they become a wonderful, deeply-flavored green that's absolutely worth having in the kitchen! You may want to wear gloves to transfer them, but it isn't necessary - the sting does go away.  To prepare them, drop them from the bag into a colander and rinse well. Then take the nettles straight from the colander and drop them into boiling water and cook for a minute or two until they go limp. This destroys the stingers and from there you can use them in any recipe, especially ones that call for spinach! They have a deep flavour of spinach when cooked and are very rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and up to 25%  protein in it's dry state- which is high for a leafy green vegetable.

Nettles can be used in a variety of recipes such as pesto, polenta, soup, tea and is also popular cooked with Indian spices. Here's a quick recipe I found in a Seattle local food blog.

 Quick Nettle-Ricotta Souffle:

• Makes 4 ramekins or small oven proof bowls
• 1/2 cup cooked nettles, packed down
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2/3 cup ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbs flour of your choice
• 2 generous pinches of salt
• grated nutmeg to taste
• parmesan for the top
• butter for ramekins or oven proof bowls

Preparation:
1. Butter four ramekins and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Separate eggs, keeping whites in a bowl and placing yolks in a food processor.
3. To the food processor with egg yolks, add nettles, cream, ricotta, rice flour, salt, and a few grates of fresh nutmeg.  Close and process until combined and the nettle is finely chopped.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the nettle mixture.
5. Divide batter into four buttered ramekins.  On the top, grate a little Parmesan cheese and a little more nutmeg. 
6.Bake for about half an hour or until golden brown on top, and serve.  Goes well with soup or salad.

Nettle Pesto: (Good with pasta, casseroles, salmon, salad... use as you would a basil pesto).

• 1 1/2 cups tightly packed and well-drained cooked nettles
• 1/2 cup walnuts (shelled)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil (you can also use butter but may want to add a little oil to smooth it out, or do half and half)
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or similar cheese

Preparation:
1. In a food processor, blend the walnuts, the garlic, and half the olive oil.
2. Add the nettles, the rest of the olive oil and the salt. Run the food processor until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the Parmesan and pulse a few times to combine, or run until smooth, depending what texture you prefer.

Garlic leaves:
Garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia and are used to impart a more delicate taste than of the garlic clove. Some ideas such as stir-fry with eggs, meat, or vegetables, or used in other dishes like this Creamy Stinging Nettle Soup recipe!

Creamy Stinging Nettle Soup with Garlic Leaves & Spinach:  Compliments to the blog - Lemonbasil. (This is a good recipe!)!!

1/2 pound or 6 cups fresh  nettles
3 Tablespoons butter or olive oil, I use a mix
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 handful fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped baby garlic greens or scallions
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 quart water or broth
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup greek yogurt, crème fraiche, sweet cream, or half and half
• 2 tablespoons chives

Procedure:

1. Sauté shallots, garlic, and garlic greens in butter or olive oil. Add sherry and nettles.

2. Add water and bring to a boil.

3. Cover and simmer until the nettles are very soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add spinach.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, add yogurt or cream, and puree using an immersion blender.

5. Add fresh parsley and serve with more yogurt and chopped garlic greens.

Ginger mint:

A delicious mint with a hint of ginger! Mint is often used raw, and the leaves are usually chopped or pounded to release the oil which produces the minty flavor. It may be an herb you'll want to use in small amounts at first, but for mint fans like myself, a dish can hardly have too much mint. Mint is a common ingredient in European, Middle Eastern, or African foods, and is also used in drinks, cocktails, and desserts. Now here are so great ideas to get you started cooking with mint.

This makes a refreshing tea - (hot or cold);  added to lime or lemonade; used as a fish or chicken glaze; in salads, fruit and also as a pesto! Yes - pesto! Here is mint and pea pesto recipe...

Mint Pesto:

• 2 tablespoons mint
• 2 tablespoons almonds (blanched and peeled)
• 2 tablespoons pecorino cheese (grated, or parmigiano)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup peas

Preparation:

1. Mix everything in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Wallah!

Lime, ginger mint dressing: (Use on salads or as a marinade)

• Zest and juice of one lime
• 1 T. chopped fresh mint (or 1 – 2 t. crushed dried mint)
• 1 T. chopped fresh chives (or scallions or shallot)
• 1/4 t. salt (or to taste)
• 1-2 T. white wine vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
• 6 T. light flavored oil (light olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil)

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together lime zest and juice, herbs, salt and vinegar.

2. Whisking continuously, add oil in a slow, steady stream.

3. When oil is incorporated, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Horn O Plenty's first harvest

Despite all this rain, we do have some veggies to harvest; thanks to the new hightunnels! This first harvest may not be a big one, but it will have a nice spring variety that will include a few once-a-year crops like turnip shoot blossoms and wild ramps!

May 5th's expected harvest~

mature spinach

arugula

mix of mizuna and purple osaka

blossom mix of violas and turnip shoot/blossoms

herb bouquet of chives and tarragon

wild ramps

french breakfast radishes

Mature spinach:
The nice thing about the mature spinach is it's texture. This spinach has overwintered and is nice in a braising, or stuffed into a chicken breast, lamb loin or pork. Or just use raw in salads or in sandwiches. It is also nice to julienne and add to something freshly pickled like coleslaw, or gingered carrots.

Arugula:
We planted arugula way back in late winter when it was dry out... you can imagine how long ago! Flea beetles attack this stuff like brown on rice.  It has been in the hightunnel under row cover, growing big and being patient. It is still very tasty with a peanutty/peppery spice and would be a great addition to salads or blend up and used in salad dressings or made into pesto, or even used as a stuffing with chicken. It's also nice freshly added, or slightly wilted to pasta salads.

   Arugula Pesto:

·         1 cup arugula

·         1/4 cup shelled walnuts

·         1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

·         1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

·         3 cloves garlic

·         1/4 teaspoon salt (I always use sea salt)

·         1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

1 (*Optional, you can also use raw garlic instead of roasting) Brown the garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
2 (*Optional, you can use the nut fresh without toasting) Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown.
3 Food processor method : Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, garlic and lemon juice into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
Serve with pasta, over freshly roasted potatoes, or as a sauce for pizza, or as a fresh spread with good bread! 

Mix of mizuna and purple osaka:
Mizuna tastes just as it looks - light and feathery. It has a buttery taste and will make an excellent salad especially along with the purple osaka. A great fresh addition to an anti-pasta or pasta salad, would also be delicious to add last to a stir-fry. (It's still young and doesn't need cooked).

Wild ramps:
Enjoy these while they are still hanging around, because in a week or two they will be sorely missed 'till next spring. Ramps are a wild leek and they have a very oniony/garlic flavor. The white bulb and green tops will both add zing to countless dishes. They can be used just like scallions; dice and sauté them with eggs, potatoes dishes, rice dishes or casseroles; used in soups, or add fresh to salads or on sandwiches.

  Scalloped Potatoes With Ramps and Tarragon:

• 3 cups sliced potatoes
• 1 1/2  cups ramps
•  2 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or yogurt
• 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Place a layer of sliced potatoes in a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole, follow with a layer of ramps and a sprinkling of tarragon, salt and pepper. Repeat layers, ending with potatoes. Combine chicken broth and heavy cream; pour over potatoes and ramps. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes, and then top with grated cheese. Return to the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Serves 3 to 4.

Blossoms and turnip shoot mix

The turnip shoot/blossoms are tender and delicious fresh, you can also cook them briefly if you wish. Garnished these blossoms fresh in salads, pasta salads or with your stir-fry. The purple violas are wonderfully sweet and make an excellent, artistic edible decoration to any salad or iced dessert - especially cakes!  Another fancy trick to make these beauties last longer is to add  into your ice cube tray and freeze.  Add the ice cubes to your drinks for a cool appeal.

Chives and tarragon:

Well - chives, do they really need any explaining?? They are great fresh in any dish, especially yogurt salad dressings, sour cream, cheese and butter.

Tarragon contains oils that give it it's distinctive taste of anise-like flavor. Always use tarragon fresh, because when it is dried it's oils dissipate. Tarragon is a good herb to use in infused oils. To retain the most flavor of fresh tarragon during storage, put fresh cut tips into water and keep in a cool place. For longer term storage, freeze whole sprigs in an airtight baggie for 3 to 5 months. No need to defrost before using. 

Add freshly chopped tarragon to salads, use in pickles and relishes or add to white wine or cider vinegar to make an herb tarragon vinegar dressing for salads. Stuff the inside of a chicken with fresh tarragon leaves before roasting or roast fish with the tarragon leaves. Add to any tomato, egg or cheese dishes. Add chopped tarragon as a garnish for mild soups. Add to any mayonnaise, butter or cream-based sauces or dips, or use to make tartar sauce. Season boiled or steamed vegetables with a little chopped tarragon added to melted butter.  Tarragon is the prime ingredient used in bernaise sauce and in the french favorite herb mixture "fines herbes" that include chives, parsley and chervil - which we will also be harvesting at some point this year. 

Tarragon Marinade:

Mix with butter, chives and lemon juice to your taste for a marinade for fish or chicken.

Tarragon Vinegar: (is easy to make)
Put fresh tarragon sprigs into a sterilized bottle of vinegar. Taste after a few days. Continue steeping until it suits your taste. Once desired strength is achieved, remove the sprigs. Use in with dressings, in potato salad, cole slaw or in anything else you would use vinegar.

Tarragon Sauce:

• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped ramps, onions, shallots or garlic 
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon (more or less according to taste).
• salt and pepper 

Place wine and ramps in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream; simmer 1 minute. Stir in tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle tarragon sauce over freshly cooked chicken or fish. 

For tarragon mashed potatoes:

Use the tarragon sauce, a 1/4 cup of chopped tarragon and some goat cheese in with freshly mashed potatoes and add top with chives and serve! YUM!