I was using a new recipe for dinner the other night that called for "tarragon". I didn't have it, my neighbors didn't have it, and my sweet husband who went to the health food store to look for it, couldn't find it. (No real surprise there). It had been so long since I used tarragon for anything that I wasn't even sure what it was!

From Wikipedia:
Tarragon is one of the four fines herbs of French cooking, and particularly suitable for chicken, lasagna, fish and egg dishes. Tarragon is one of the main components of bearnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised sprigs of tarragon may be steeped in vinegar to impart their flavor.

And from Food.com:
(Tarragon is) ...an herb with narrow, pointed, gray-green leaves with a distinctive anise or licorice flavor. Only the leaves are edible. Tarragon is excellent with seafood, fruits, poultry, eggs and most vegetables, as well as sauces, particularly bearnaise sauce. Tarragon can easily dominate other flavors, and care should be taken when using tarragon. Tarragon leaves should be used fresh, as the aroma of dried tarragon is usually very weak. French or German tarragon is sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of fennel, anise and licorice.

Maybe more than you wanted to know, but now no one can say they don't know what "tarragon" is!

Anyway, I typed in "substitute for tarragon" on my computer and was directed to marjoram and basil. Got to love the internet! I used the latter and my hubby and I loved the recipe. That said, now that I have my own tarragon spice bottle, I can't wait to retry the recipe with the spice it called for.

Spices do make a difference in the recipes we use. Some may be subtle, the basil was just fine as a substitute, but others truly enhance the flavor of what is being prepared. However, we don't always know what spice to use when we would like to add just a little "zing" to otherwise regular foods. For instance, what can we do with zucchini besides steam, or broil with a little olive oil? With these and other winter vegetables stocking our supermarket produce section, maybe the following ideas will help add a new flavor to your side-dishes.

Zucchini: garlic, red pepper, cumin, curry

Eggplant: rosemary, oregano, thyme

Brussels sprouts: mustard, curry, chives, nutmeg, caraway seeds

Tomatoes: basil, tarragon, thyme, pink pepper corn, mint

Cucumber: dill, paprika, cayenne pepper

Carrots: mustard, parsley, curry, sage, thyme

If you try any of these spices, remember to only use one of them on the vegetable.