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Vegetable

Roasted Tarragon Carrots

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I’m coming off of a week long culinary class at the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio campus that finished at the beginning of May. I loved every minute of it and left feeling inspired, all while learning so many new skills while there. Being “self-taught” there are basics and fundamentals that I never really learned, so even simple things like knife technique ended up being huge takeaways for me.

Much of the class focused on classic French culinary techniques, which tend to be a far cry from my style of cooking – think butter, cream, sauces, rich foods, and more. After the class finished up, I took a little time off from cooking to have some space space to process everything that I took in during those five full days of class.

My immediate inspiration has been from some of the herbs that we used that I don’t typically incorporate into my cooking. One of those is most certainly tarragon. Tarragon is one of the four “fines herbes” of French cooking, others being parsley, chives, and chervil. Tarragon tends to have a anise flavor and smell, one that I’m not usually drawn to. That being said, I want to challenge myself to use flavors that I typically stay away from.

This recipe is probably one of the easiest around but packs a great punch and the colors will really dress up any plate. I served these roasted tarragon carrots with an Apple Sage Pork Tenderloin but they’d be a great accompaniment to almost any chicken, beef, or fish recipe.

The secret to these carrots is making sure your fresh tarragon is very finely chopped. You want tiny pieces that will spread out and flavor your carrots. You’re also welcome to use any carrots but I personally love the color that rainbow carrots add. The deep purple, bright orange, yellow, and white can make any old plate gorgeous!

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Roasted Tarragon Carrots

Easy, light, and a beautiful addition to any plate

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bunch rainbow carrots
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Clean and peel carrots.

  3. Toss carrots in 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium bowl.

  4. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of tarragon and a generous amount of salt to carrots in the bowl and toss again.

  5. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

  6. Spread carrots out on the sheet pan in a single line. Be sure the carrots aren't stacked on top of each other.

  7. Roast for 20 minutes in the oven. Turn carrots half way through cooking. 

  8. Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining 1/2 tbsp of tarragon on the carrots.

  9. Serve immediately. 

Mustard Grain Fresh Potato Salad with Green Beans

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For Easter lunch, I, like many of my fellow Star Spangled Banner Flyers, would be serving a ham lunch. I had a delicious pear and blue cheese salad and warm dinner rolls to go with it but it needed the perfect side. Something that would be healthy and hearty without that traditional casserole feel. In other words, I wanted to bring my Easter lunch into this decade.

I started with red potatoes and green beans and decided to throw a nice little bite into it with mustard. But not that nasty old bright yellow mustard. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that condiments matter. Mustard would 100% be included in this camp and for Easter, I needed a good one. I came across Maille Old Style Whole Grain Mustard at Central Market and ended up being perfect.

This recipe was a hit with everyone at the table from kids to grandparents and will absolutely be making it into the rotation for everyday meals. The recipe makes a HUGE serving, plenty for a group or enough to make and use as a side for other meals during the week.

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Mustard Grain Fresh Potato Salad with Green Beans

The perfect side for a holiday meal or tasty enough for everyday!

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 people
Calories 211 kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 cups small red potatoes
  • 3 cups fresh green beans
  • 1/2 red onion sliced very thin
  • 2 tbsp good whole grain mustard
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove grated
  • drizzle of honey
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

Instructions

  1. Bring a large stock pot of water with a dash of salt to a boil.

  2. Once boiling, add potatoes and boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender but still firm. Try poking with a fork to test.

  3. While potatoes are cooking, massage sliced onions to soften them a bit.

  4. In a large bowl, add mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, grated garlic, and honey and stir. Add onions.

  5. Once potatoes are cooked, transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the dressing and onions. Do not pour out the water from the stock pot. Allow the potatoes to sit on the onions to cook and soften them a bit.

  6. Add green beans to the stock pot of hot water. Return to a boil for 4 minutes or until bright green. Drain the green beans and immediately plunge them in a bowl of ice water.

  7. Add green beans to the potatoes, onions, and dressing. Add a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste. Add in fresh rosemary.

  8. Gently mix potatoes, green beans, onions, rosemary, and dressing, coating all of the vegetables lightly in the dressing.

Nutrition Facts
Mustard Grain Fresh Potato Salad with Green Beans
Amount Per Serving
Calories 211 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 50mg 2%
Potassium 423mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 4.9%
Vitamin C 13.3%
Calcium 2.4%
Iron 5.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.