SUMMER HARVEST SALAD

Trips to the farmers' market have been wonderful this summer, after a good growing season.  The veggies are coming in fast and furious!  Tonight for dinner I made a salad out of some of the veggies.

Half eaten....

The beauty of this salad is that any number of veggies or ingredients can be added or substituted.  Throw in what you have on hand, and what you love, and you will love the end result.  The uniting ingredient is the salad dressing which I found on Lynne Rossetto Kasper's "Splendid Table" blog.

SUMMER HARVEST SALAD.  Serves 8 - 10.
The Dressing.
*  4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*  2 tablespoons cider vinegar
*  2 teaspoons sugar
*  1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
*  10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*  Salt to taste
In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and ground coriander.  Gradually whisk in the olive oil until well-blended.  Season to taste with salt.

The Salad.
*  2-3 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
*  1 large cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded using a spoon, and sliced
*  5 scallions/green onions, chopped
*  a small bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped
*  grilled corn from 1 large cob
*  1 cup cooked orzo (small Greek pasta)
*  Top with crumbled Feta cheese, just before serving
Put all salad ingredients in a large serving bowl, mix with salad dressing to taste (the recipe makes more than you will use for this salad).  Just before serving, crumble feta cheese on top.

ENJOY THIS HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS SALAD!!!

GRILLED EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND FETA STACKS

One of the wonderful things about travel is meeting new people.  Two years ago, on our trip to Germany, we met Debbie and John, who live outside of Seattle, and have a "cabin" on Lake Chelan, a beautiful lake in the Cascade Mountains about 3-1/2 hours drive east of Seattle.   We have kept in touch since then, and when they heard that we were thinking about visiting Portland, they invited us to visit them.  Initially, we all felt a bit of apprehensiveness since we were going to be together for a week.  Within minutes of getting together, however, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief... Everything was going to be fine.  Well, it was tremendous, actually!   Now we look forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon!    

This recipe comes from Debbie.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

GRILLED EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND FETA STACKS.  Serves 12.
*  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
*  1 tablespoon olive oil
*  1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (plus more for garnish)
*  1/4 teaspoon very finely minced garlic
*  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
*  1 large eggplant, trimmed, sliced into twelve 1/2 inch rounds
*  2 sprays cooking spray
*  1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
*  2 large fresh tomatoes, ends trimmed, cut into 6 slices each
*  3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
     Preheat grill to medium-high.  
     In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside for flavors to blend. 
     Coat both sides of eggplant with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Grill eggplant slices until lightly charred and tender, turning as needed, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Brush eggplant with lemon mixture; top each with 1 slice tomato and 1 tablespoon feta.  Cover grill and cook until tomato and feta soften slightly, about 1 minute.  
     Remove to a serving platter and garnish with additional oregano leaves.  

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS

We were asked to bring an appetizer to a dinner party on Saturday night.  I love potluck dinners for so many reasons, not the least of which is that I only have to fix one thing.  And since it is only one thing, I can spend more time making the dish than I might when I am preparing an entire meal.  This appetizer isn't a lot of work, but it is putzy (sic).

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS.  Makes about 15.
*  1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
*  1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
*  1 garlic clove, crushed
*  1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
*  4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Dampen a large baking sheet.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil from the tomatoes in a skillet; add the zucchini slices and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat and let cool while you prepare the pastry bases.

Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured counter.  Using a plain 3" cutter, cut out 15 rounds, rerolling the trimmings if necessary.  Transfer the circles to the prepared cookie sheet and prick 3-4 times with the tines of a fork.

Divide the zucchini mixture equally between the pastry circles, add the tomatoes, leaving a 1/2" edge, and top each tart with a small spoonful of goat cheese.  Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil from the tomatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs.

Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 10+ minutes, or until golden brown and well risen.  Serve warm.

PHEASANT AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

When we were children, my father would return from hunting trips with pheasant or deer.  Unfortunately, my parents were not good cooks, resulting in me not having much of an interest in deer (too strong of a flavor!) or pheasant (too much buckshot!).  Fortunately, today there is such a plethora of on-line recipes, that finding good options to use these meats is no problem.

Recently, one of our nice neighbors gave us pheasant - thoroughly cleaned, cut into pieces, with the small breast bones removed, and not one single buckshot.   Thank you!!!   I went online to www.allrecipes.com, and found a recipe that had great reviews for slow cooker pheasant.  The reviewers all said that this recipe resulted in meat that was moist and flavorful.   I agree!

To go with the Slow Cooker Pheasant with Mushrooms and Olives I made brussels sprouts.  This is a simple recipe but a serious upgrade from steamed brussels sprouts.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS IN PECAN SAUCE
1)  Steam one pound of brussels sprouts until tender, about 10 minutes.
2)  Heat 3 tablespoons of salted butter in a small saucepan.  Add 1/4 cup chopped pecans, and brown them in the butter.  Optional:  Stir in 1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce.
3)  Pour browned butter pecan sauce over brussels sprouts, and serve.

I love these!!

GAZPACHO - EASY AND REFRESHING.

Now is the time to pick up all of those fresh and lush veggies needed to make a big batch of gazpacho.  This is one of the easiest soups one could possibly make, and one of the most delicious!  On top of that, there is no cooking to heat up your already hot kitchen.  I love having it on hand to add to our late summer meals.  Consider serving it with Mary Steenburgen's Corn Pudding.

GAZPACHO.  Serves 8.
*  2-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded
*  3 large garlic cloves, chopped
*  3 tablespoons almonds (preferably no skin)
*  2 cucumbers, peeled, seeds removed, and diced
*  3/4 cup diced sweet onion [Videlia is great!]
*  3 cups rich chicken stock [Substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.]
*  2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute
*  2 teaspoons salt (kosher)
*  6 drops Tabasco sauce (or finely diced jalapeno, to taste)
*  1 teaspoon white pepper
*  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
*  1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
*  1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
In the bowl of a food processor combine tomatoes, garlic, almonds, half of the cucumber, jalapeno (if using in lieu of Tabasco), and 1 cup of the onion.  Pulse until mixture is finely pureed.  Pour into a large bowl.  Whisk in chicken stock, sugar, salt, Tabasco (if using in lieu of jalapeno), and pepper.  Blend well.  Then vigorously whisk in olive oil, vinegar and cilantro.  Add in the remaining cucumber and onion.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Chill at least 4 hours.

 This recipe generally follows the recipe for gazpacho in the book Garlic, Garlic, Garlic by Linda and Fred Griffith.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PARSNIP SOUP.

I love soups that are pureed/blended.  They are always creamy but, frequently, without the cream.  Here is a recipe for a nice Fall or Winter soup that is very easy to make, quite nutritious, and special enough to serve to guests.  Also, like most soups, it can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PARSNIP SOUP.  Serves 8.   Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
*  2 tablespoons canola oil
*  1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
*  2 carrots, peeled and diced
*  3 parsnips, peeled and diced
*  1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
*  6 sprigs of fresh thyme
*  1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*  6 cups chicken stock [For vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth.]
*  1-1/2 teaspoon salt
*  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
*  2 tablespoons champagne vinegar [I substituted Rice Wine Vinegar.]
*  1 bay leaf
In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the oil, then add the squash, carrots, parsnips and onion.  Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly tender and warmed through, about 5 minutes.  Add the thyme, coriander, chicken stock, salt, pepper, vinegar and bay leaf.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and puree the mixture.  I use a stick blender but you could use a blender, being careful to puree small amounts so as to not get burned.

 Tip:  Use a grapefruit spoon to remove seeds from the butternut squash.

Tip:  Put a towel under your chopping board to keep it from moving while chopping.

 Tip:  Set up all of your ingredients before you begin to cook.  This is called "mise en place."  Mise en place [pronounced - miz on plas] is a French phrase which means "everything in place."

This is what it looks like as it cooks.  After cooking, the thyme and bay will be removed and the soup will be pureed.

A JULIA CHILD MEAL

It was my turn to "host" our cooking club so I pulled out my Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and selected a menu of recipes.  Here was the menu:

*  Algo Bouido (Garlic Soup)
*  Bouchees Parmentier au Fromage (Potato Cheese Sticks)
*  Celery Root Remoulade
*  Gratin Aux Fruits de Mer (Gratin of Seafood)
*  Epinards A La Basquaise (Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes)
*  Carottes Glacees (Glazed Carrots)
*  Clafouti (Fruit Flan)

On Thursday, everyone arrived for our lunch with their dish.

 Garlic Soup with Potato Cheese Sticks.

Celery Root Remoulade.

 Glazed Carrots.

 Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes.

 Gratin of Seafood.

Apple Clafouti.

As we know, Julia Child spent years perfecting her recipes for American cooks.  Despite her best efforts, some of us found it necessary to tweak the recipes to achieve a better outcome.    All in all, this was a delicious meal!  Thank you, Julia!

If you want any of the recipes, please send an email request to me at:   www.foodie-bee@mail.com

SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO PESTICIDES IN PRODUCE

We all like to save money but when it comes to health, I'm as careful as possible with what I consume.  The following popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides, and are best if organic:

*  Bell Peppers
*  Celery
*  Cherries
*  Grapes (imported)
*  Nectarines
*  Peaches
*  Pears
*  Potatoes
*  Red Raspberries
*  Spinach
*  Strawberries

The following list contains fruits and vegetables that have the least amount of pesticides:

*  Asparagus
*  Avocados
*  Bananas
*  Broccoli
*  Cauliflower
*  Sweet Corn
*  Kiwi
*  Mangos
*  Onions
*  Papaya
*  Pineapples
*  Sweet Peas

BEET, FENNEL, AND CARROT SALAD

For this post I have to lead with the photo since this salad is sooooo pretty!  Imagine it with your Christmas dinner.  Wow!

 Not only is this pretty, it is also delicious, easy to make, and it can be made ahead if you're making it for guests.  

BEET, FENNEL, AND CARROT SALAD.  Serves 8

For the Salad:

* 1 fennel bulb, trimmed

* 5 medium carrots

* 2 large beets, trimmed and peeled

For the Vinaigrette:

* 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

* 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

* 1 shallot, halved and very thinly sliced

* 1 teaspoon coarse salt

* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1.  Make the salad:  Quarter fennel bulb lengthwise, and cut out core.  Very thinly slice fennel lengthwise into strips using a mandoline or sharp knife.  Cover with a damp paper towel in a glass dish.

2.  Grate carrots, then beets, on the large holes of a box grater (or using a processor with attachment).  Arrange side by side with fennel.  Keep covered with damp paper towel, and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  Make the vinaigrette:  Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a small bowl, and add orange juice, vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, and salt.  Gradually whisk in oil.

4.  Toss fennel, beets and carrots with vinaigrette in a large bowl.  Serve immediately.

Make ahead:  Sliced and grated vegetables can be refrigerated overnight, vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 5 hours; whisk before using.

Oh.... and I forgot to mention that this is packed with antioxidents, vitamins and minerals.  It just doesn't get any better than that!

GREEN BEANS and HERICOTS VERTS.

Green beans are now readily available at farmers' markets and they are such a treat!  I think everyone likes green beans! 

Here are a few ideas for dressing up green beans for everyday, and for company.

*  Saute garlic in olive oil and/or butter; add lemon juice, lemon zest and steamed green beans.
*  Toss steamed green beans with chopped, roasted red peppers.
*  Toss steamed green beans with sesame oil, fresh grated ginger and toasted sesame seeds.
*  Saute slivered almonds in butter until toasted, add steamed green beans and heat through.
*  Fry cut pieces of bacon or prosciutto, pour out the grease, add steamed green beans and heat through.
*  Toss steamed green beans with peanut oil, red chillies, minced garlic and oyster sauce.
*  Toss warm, steamed green beans with butter and fresh chopped tarragon/chive/basil/thyme.

Always prepare a much larger batch than you intend to use that day.  Adding these green beans to a salad is a delicious way to eat the left-overs.

Do you know what "haricots verts" are?  If you've taken any French classes this is easy for you.  Translated exactly to English they are beans green.  More specifically, they are a slender variety of a snap bean developed originally in France.  I've never been able to taste any difference between the green beans we typically see in stores and haricots verts; so I use them interchangeably.  FYI, here is the correct pronunciation of haricots verts:  är-ē-kō-ˈver

EASTER FLOWERS AND A RECIPE: MUSHROOM & BELL PEPPER SAUTE

I hope you had a delightful Easter or, simply, a beautiful day to celebrate the fact that Spring has sprung!  It was my first day working in the garden since last October when I planted 170 (or so) bulbs.  Fortunately, the planting was a success!

For our Easter dinner we had roasted leg of lamb, pureed celery root, a mushroom and bell pepper saute, and a piece of white cake with chocolate frosting (complete with a chocolate bunny, green sprinkles for grass, and colored chocolate malted "eggs").   Following is the recipe for the veggie dish.

MUSHROOM AND BELL PEPPER SAUTE.  Serves 4.
*  3 tablespoons butter
*  1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite-size triangles
*  1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size triangles
*  4 ounces of baby portobello (crimini) mushrooms
*  1 tablespoon of fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 teaspoon of dried, crumbled
*  Salt & pepper to taste
*  Feta or Goat Cheese crumbles
Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add bell peppers and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms and tarragon (if using dried).  Saute an additional 5 minutes.  Mix in fresh tarragon (if using fresh), salt and pepper.  Continue to cook one minute.  Sprinkle with cheese crumbles and serve.

USING LEFT-OVERS.

Meal preparation can be a real time suck and, accordingly, it is important to find shortcuts.  One thing that I do is to always prepare much more than I will be using for a specific meal.  In fact, shopping at Costco necessitates cooking much more than I need since quantities are large and I don't want the food to go to waste. 

For example, you can steam a large pot of green beans, then use them in any number of ways:
(1) Fry up a little bacon, remove the bacon to a paper towel and pour out the grease; in the same pan, saute the green beans and finish with crumbled bacon.  Next day:
(2) Make a salad and use green beans as part of the salad.  Third day:
(3) Melt butter in a saute pan, toast up sliced or slivered almonds in the butter, add the green beans to heat through and blend flavors. 

Another example.  For SuperBowl Sunday I made Chicken Tandoori and Israeli Couscous.  On Monday I posted the recipe  for the Tandoori Chicken and reheated it for my lunch.  On Tuesday I cubed the cold chicken, added mayonnaise and a few other things I had on hand, and had a delicious Tandoori Chicken Salad for lunch.  For supper I roasted up rack of lamb and reheated the Israeli Couscous. 

See what I mean?  Cook once... eat often!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2011! ASPARAGUS APPETIZER.

Greetings and all best wishes for a fabulous 2011!  Last night we rung in the new year with great friends, a delicious feast, the movie "Sideways", and then watching Dick Clark, et. al. on TV.  It was fun seeing Kevin stay awake so late!

I brought an appetizer that got very favorable reviews. It is easy to make, relatively healthy and tasty.

Asparagus Appetizer
Place the following ingredients in a blender:
* 1/2 cup packed parsley
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* Zest of 1/2 lemon
* 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (I substituted Smoked Onion Mustard.)
Puree the above ingredients and then mix with
* 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
Taste and add salt.
Blanch 2 bunches of asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain off the hot water then run under cold water to stop the cooking. Place on cloths to dry.  To serve, place dip in a bowl surrounded by the asparagus.  Refrigerate until serving.  Can be made a day in advance.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY.

As a foodie, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It's somewhat problematic though as so many of the traditional foods are high in carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates are certainly necessary for our health... just not in the extremes of the American diet.  For example,
*  Mashed potatoes... carbs
*  Carrots... carbs
*  Sweet Potatoes... carbs
*  Dressing/Stuffing... carbs
*  Bread/Rolls... carbs
*  Fruit Salad... carbs
*  Gravy... carbs
*  Cranberry Sauce... carbs
*  Pie... carbs
What do we have left?  Turkey... no carbs.

I am always looking for ways to reduce carbs since that, for me, is the most efficient and effective way to maintain my weight.  So, as you plan your Thanksgiving meal, consider ways to have the foods you want, but with fewer carbs.  For example, many in my family love sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows on top.  I read recently that of all foods, sweet potatoes have the greatest nutritional value.  With that in mind, consider this easy and tasty alternative sweet potato dish for your Thanksgiving.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY.  Serves 6.
*  3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
*  6 tablespoons of butter (less, to taste)
*  1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
Put potatoes in a pot with water to cover.  Cover pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain and mash with the butter and rosemary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

RECIPE ARCHIVE

It is time to revamp my site somewhat.  Having a recipe archive doesn't work as well as simply posting the recipes on a regular basis.  Since I am now eliminating the archive, below are the recipes that had been in that tab.  See my new tabs above.  Click on the tabs to enter the new pages.

AFTERNOON PICK-ME-UP TEA. Serves 1. When your energy is low this is an easy "tea".  
Mix together a teaspoon each of grated fresh ginger, honey, and turmeric powder, then stir the mixture into a cup of hot water. Both ginger and turmeric are anti-inflammatory.

CHICKEN a' l'ORANGE. Serves 4. A simple weeknight dish. I served this with couscous into which I added chopped red pepper, onion and garlic. Would be good with wild rice.
* 2 oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/2" rounds
* 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
* 2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, halved and boned
* 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
* Salt & white pepper to taste
* Grated peel of 1/2 orange (1 to 2 tablespoons)
* Juice of 1 orange (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Heat oven to 350º. Sprinkle orange slices with liqueur; let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks. Rub chicken on all sides with curry powder, salt & pepper. Arrange chicken in baking pan. Combine orange peel, juice, honey and mustard. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer. Top chicken with orange slices and cook 2 minutes longer.

CROSTINI WITH PECORINO, HONEY AND ORANGE ZEST.
Cut a baguette into 1/4" slices; brush with olive oil. Arrange on baking sheet and bake in 400ºF oven until crisp. Cut the pecorino into thin slices and arrange on the toasts. Drizzle a small amount of honey over the cheese, and top with fresh orange zest and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

PINK PEPPERCORN THYME SODA. Makes 8.  Served at Green Zebra Restaurant in Chicago.
* 8 whole star anise
* 2 tablespoons whole pink peppercorns plus additional for garnish
* 1 tablespoon whole cloves
* 3 cups water
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup fresh thyme sprigs plus 8 additional sprigs for garnish
* Ice cubes
* 4 cups chilled club soda
     Toast anise, 2 tablespoons peppercorns, and cloves in small skillet over medium-high heat until aromatic, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Wrap spices in triple layer of cheesecloth; tie shut. Pound with rolling pin to crush spices lightly. Bring 3 cups water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan. Add spices in cheesecloth. Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup thyme sprigs; cover and steep 10 minutes longer. Strain syrup into medium bowl. Chill until cold. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
     Fill 8 tall glasses with ice. Divide syrup among glasses. Add 1/2 cup or more to taste soda to each glass. Garnish with thyme sprigs and peppercorns.

ZUCCHINI, CORN AND TOMATO SIDE DISH.   Serves 8.  No work, a lot of flavor, and healthy.
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
* 1 can corn, drained
* 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (or Mexican style if preferred)
* salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil in pan, add onion and saute until translucent but not browned. Add oregano and zucchini and continue to saute until zucchini begins to brown. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat to boiling; lower heat, then simmer about 15+ minutes until zucchini is tender. Serve.

A VEGGIE DISH: SUGAR SNAP PEAS & CARROTS WITH TARRAGON BUTTER.

A group of our friends frequently get together sometime during the Labor Day weekend for a potluck dinner.  I always enjoy the event since I get to see a lovely garden as well as to taste good foods.  Mike grilled boneless butterflied leg of lamb, and chicken breasts (topped with pineapple and cheese), both of which were delicious.   I brought a vegetable side dish which was good since more people than not brought appetizers.  Here's the recipe:

SUGAR SNAP PEAS & CARROTS WITH TARRAGON BUTTER.  This recipe serves 4 but you can easily adjust the entire recipe to suit your tastes and based on what you have on hand.  This recipe was modified from a "Gourmet" magazine recipe.
*  3/4 # sugar snap peas, strings discarded
*  2 carrots, peeled and coin-cut
*  1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or shallot
*  1 tablespoon butter
*  2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, or 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
*  1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
*  salt and pepper to taste
Blanch sugar snaps in a pot of boiling water, uncovered, 1 minute.  Drain and quickly cool the sugar snaps.   In the same pot cook carrots just until tender.  Drain and quickly cool the carrots.  (Okay to make ahead to this point then finish later.)

Cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 1 minute.  Increase heat to high, add sugar snaps and carrots.  If using dried tarragon also add at this point.  Saute veggies to heat through about 2-4 minutes.  If using fresh tarragon, add at this time with lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine,  then serve.