Tarragon scones with pea mash and pickled radishes

Why tarragon is less of a faff to grow than the RHS would have you believe and a quick little recipe for your abundant harvest.

Easier than the RHS would have you think.

Consult an RHS growing manual about growing tarragon and it will be enough to put you off completely. They will tell you French tarragon is tender, troublesome, best grown in a pot, sheltered from the rain, and requiring of a warm greenhouse over winter.

Judging by the field of French tarragon in my herb bed this is nonsense.

Generally speaking, if an edible plant is a bit tricksy, I won’t be able to grow it. But with French tarragon I seem to have hit upon a difficult crop that grows in abundance for me and entirely without my attention. I bought two small pots of it three years ago, planted them in our herb bed which is very free draining (tick), sheltered (tick), but not frost-free (cross), and sunny (tick). But I neither lift it nor cover it overwinter and yet each spring it returns with renewed vigour.

It’s almost got me wondering if the pot was mis-labelled and I am, in fact, growing Russian tarragon (which would be far less impressive because Russian tarragon is hardier and less temperamental). But it still has the characteristic and intense aniseed kick of French tarragon (which Russian does not) so I’m sticking to my story that I have naturally tarragon green fingers.

Ways with tarragon

• Chicken, obviously. Roasted and buttery.

• Béarnaise, again lovely though obvious.

• But also, and more unexpectedly, with fried mushrooms, piled on toast with a few slices of prosciutto if you have them.

• Mark Diacono
  has a terrific idea for celery and tarragon pesto.

• And the ever inventive

  Rosie Mackean
  makes a tarragon and bean number that is the absolute business.

But first, as I continue to wonder if I really do have Russian tarragon, scones:

Tarragon cheese scones with pea mash and pickled radishes

These scones are adapted from a courgette and cheese scone recipe in my cookbook. But since the courgettes are some way off and the tarragon is already rampant, I’ve juggled things around a little. The pea mash and radishes is merely a serving suggestion, and you can, of course, serve with whatever you prefer – butter, a hunk of ham, more cheese…

Makes 8-9 scones

• 230g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

• 50g butter, cold and cubed