Tarragon

Followers of Pythagoras were forbidden to eat it, writer Herodotus claimed that Greek priests wouldn't even look at it and many ancient Greeks believed that "wind" was its byproduct. According to Alan Davidson's The Penguin Companion to Food, there are few types of produce with a history as clouded in superstition as the broad bean, most commonly known as the fava bean. Despite its colorful history, the fava bean, originating in pockets of Europe, West Asia and Northern Africa, has been a major food source for thousands of years.

Java Blues, 243 W. Read St., (410) 728-JAVA. Java Blues has gotten a lot of press that may lead you to think it's more of a restaurant than it really is. It specializes in gourmet coffee and good things to go with coffee: pastries, brioche and breads. But you can get a quirky (and good) lunch here -- basically, whatever the owners feel like fixing. Pizza bagels are usually on the menu, and there might be tarragon chicken salad, an artichoke quiche, a pear and green bean salad. The tiny dining room is cute as a button, but don't be surprised if you don't get a seat.

The comforting smells of an autumn kitchen: a pot of stew simmering on the stove, a roast braising in the oven, a steaming bowl of soup on the table. New York City chef Tom Valenti and author Andrew Friedman offer recipes for such foods in their new book, Soups, Stews and One-Pot Meals (Scribner, 2004, $30). The 125 recipes here are meant to be savored. They take time to prepare and often are better the next day - the perfect meals to make on a rainy weekend. Valenti, the chef and owner of Quest and 'Cesca restaurants, and Friedman, a New York food writer, set out to provide a cookbook for simple meals, usually prepared in a single pot. While the meals may have to simmer on the stove or braise in the oven for several hours, Friedman and Valenti try to keep the preparation and cleanup time to a minimum.

A Reisterstown youth was killed yesterday when the car he was riding in was rear-ended and pushed into the path of oncoming traffic on Butler Road in Glyndon, Baltimore County police said.Dontay Yarbrough, 17, of the 11900 block of Tarragon Road in Reisterstown was dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred just after 2: 30 p.m. at Butler Road and Third Avenue, said Cpl. James Conaboy, a police spokesman.Dontay, a senior at Franklin High School, was a guard on the basketball team.The driver of the car, Timothy Goins, 17, of Wooden Bridge Court in Reisterstown was in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center last night.

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes in Baltimore and Baltimore County.Central DistrictArrest: A male, 17, suspected of stealing a minivan, was arrested after striking a second stolen car suspect with the vehicle in the 2500 block of Madison Ave. about 4 a.m. yesterday. One suspect was playing in the street about 4 a.m. when his friend accidentally struck him with a minivan stolen in West Baltimore. The injured youth was in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The youth who struck him was charged with auto theft and assault.

Boston Chicken822 Dulaney Valley Road, Dulaney Plaza, Towson.Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.(410) 825-2222; fax: (410) 825-2242Boston Chicken opened its doors about six weeks ago, and people are coming from all over to pick up the restaurant's marinated rotisserie chicken.When you walk into the sparkling eatery, you see and smell dozens of marinated chickens cooking on two large, upright, brick-fired rotisseries. Glass cases display the trimmings, cooked fresh daily -- vegetables, salads, soups, desserts and chicken pot pies.

TC NorthwoodsWhere: 609 Melvin Ave., AnnapolisHours: Open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; dinner 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. SundaysCredit Cards: AE, CB, DC, MC, VFeatures: Continental and Italian cuisineCall: 268-2609 (direct from Baltimore) There don't seem to be any woods anywhere near the place, and no one would think of showing up in L. L. Bean flannels and lumberjack boots. Let's face it, Northwoods is a silly name for this restaurant, which is pretty in pale pink, serenely hung with Impressionist art, and located on a quiet suburban side street removed from Annapolis's historical and tourist hub. And while that name suggests rugged American chow (if not moose and lynx)

Halfway through our meal at Cardwell's Tavern, our server told us the next round of drinks would be on the house. As co-owner Craig Nachodsky later explained: "When I see someone who hasn't been in before, I like to buy them a round of drinks because I think it's nice. I like to make people feel at home." With its dark interior dominated by a large bar, Cardwell's looks like many other neighborhood watering holes. Decorations are mainly Guinness posters and signs announcing the next open-mike night.

HERE'S A MODEL Thanksgiving meal and maybe some inspiration for next Thursday's feast.Our centerpiece is a tender turkey roasted in an open pan. It can be basted with your choice of glazes to keep the skin moist and flavorful. Roasting directions are in the box below.Peas and radishes combine in a crunchy, eye-catching holiday side dish. The dish cooks in your microwave, freeing the oven and stove-top for other uses.Quick wheat pan rolls can be made ahead of time and frozen. Bake as usual, cool completely and wrap for the freezer.