The Chef's best friend and a must for every Herb Garden, French Tarragon has a spicy anise flavour that turns ordinary main dishes into masterpieces.   French Tarragon is sumptuous with meat and vegetables and is a top choice in any hearty recipe.  It is used in  "Fines Herbes", "Herbes de Provence", and " Bouquet Garni".  Chopped fresh Tarragon makes everyday Chicken Salad or Potato Salad something fit for a special occasion.   Tarragon can be used alone or in conjunction with other herbs like Basil to flavour White Wine Vinegar.  Add a couple of teaspoons of Tarragon Vinegar to Hollandaise Sauce for a special Eggs Benedict Brunch.  Particularly tasty with scallops, chopped Tarragon added during steaming or barbecuing can improve almost any white fish.

A herbaceous perennial, French Tarragon dies back to the ground in early Autumn and returns in late spring. # Like Chives, French Tarragon is also hardy in the UK.   It likes loose soil with good drainage.  Plant in full sun  (or part shade in hotter climates)   and water well.  After about three years, it is necessary to lift, divide, and replant the original clump.  Replenish the soil with a good dose of organic compost before replanting.  For best results, do this after the plant has started vigorously growing in spring but before the weather gets too hot in summer. 

Because French Tarragon has a short growth season  ( beginning in early June and ending in late August),  Winter Tarragon   (Tagetes lucida)  is sometimes used as a substitute.  

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