Tarragon

"Did Grandpa grow these tomatoes?" they would ask, their little arms folded resolutely over their salad plates. They may have been only 3 and 5 years old, but my daughters were already confirmed lovers of homegrown tomatoes."Are you sure these aren't the yucky tomatoes from the market?" they would demand. Blindfolded, they could tell the difference.Few folks would disagree. Homegrown, vine-ripened tomatoes taste better than store-bought. According to the February issue of Well-Living Magazine, a survey done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that measured consumer satisfaction with 31 common grocery items reported that commercially grown fresh tomatoes rated dead last.

Manor Tavern, 15819 Old York Road, Monkton. (410) 771-8155. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Major credit cards. No smoking area: yes. Wheelchair-accessible: no. Prices: appetizers, $5.95-$8.25; entrees, $16.50-$18.50.By the time you've traveled north on Dulaney Valley Road, past where it turns into Jarrettsville Pike and finally onto Monkton Road, you feel as if you're farther than half an hour away from Baltimore. There, in the middle of Maryland's most beautiful countryside, you come upon the Manor Tavern, nestled by the side of the road and surrounded by rolling green fields.

Fear of flying, fear of open spaces, fear of snakes, mice and large dogs. These days what people really fear is fixing dinner.There's so little time, so many meals. Sure it's great to have the family around the table, however briefly. But they can't eat the same thing every night. And who, after a hard day at the office, or a difficult day on the home front, can summon up the creativity to make a memorable meal?We'd all like to be the Moliere of mealtime, but most of us settle for being the tear-jerker with the Tuna Helper.

Once upon a time, vinegar mostly came in two types, cider and distilled. If you looked around, you might find red wine vinegar, maybe even white wine or rice wine vinegar. Then the foodie explosion of the 1970s led to all sorts of doctored vinegars. Vinegar appeals to the kitchen tinkerer because it can't spoil, so you can add flavorings to it without risk. Why not throw in mint or basil or sage? Garlic, hot chilies, tangerine peel? Great fun. And then came the fruit vinegars. A couple of years back, the words "raspberry vinegar" were splattered all over every self-respecting restaurant menu.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office and Maryland State Police report: Aberdeen Javier Vazquez Nieves, 35, of the 2900 block of Beach Court, was charged Thursday with theft less than $100. Charles N. Mauck, 25, of the 100 block of Poplar Hill Road, was charged Saturday with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol per se, driving while impaired by alcohol, speeding, driving while his license was suspended and revoked and eluding police by fleeing on foot.

Of all the steak joints in town," to paraphrase a famous movie line, you're not likely to be served as delicious and reasonably priced an entree as the steak dinner you can make at home. So why fight the restaurant noise and crowds this holiday season when what you want is a savory meal and good company? The only challenge you'll face with a steak menu is settling on your favorite cut of beef. Steaks offer a combination of flavor and tenderness in varying degrees. You may give up a little tenderness for more flavor, or you may prefer more chewy texture and less fat. That's a personal choice.

If you eat out or shop the vegetable stalls, the chances are you've seen it. Kale is often treated like the ugly duckling of the greenery field, ignored by otherwise budget- and health-conscious shoppers.Actually, the vegetable, a sort of green cabbage, has a long history of fitting into hearty international menus -- not just braised with chopped onions, meat stock and pork fat, Dixie-style -- but as an ideal ingredient for balancing casseroles.The only preparational trick is cutting out tough stems of the leaves.

When summer weather lures you outdoors, rely on quick-to-fi salads to make meal preparation simpler and get you out of the kitchen fast.This recipe is from the Potato Board and Mushroom Council.Grilled Chicken Summer Salad4 medium potatoes, about 1 1/3 pounds1/2 pound mushrooms, halved1/3 pound green beans, halved, trimmed and blanchedTarragon vinaigrette, recipe follows4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each1/4 cup chopped red onionHalved cherry tomatoes for garnishIn covered saucepan, cook potatoes in about two-inches boiling water until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

It's soft-shell crab season in Maryland. Benjamin Erjavec, executive chef of the Oceanaire Seafood Room in Harbor East, has this simple way to dress them up. CORNMEAL-CRUSTED MARYLAND SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC Serves 6 as an appetizer or 3 as a main course 6 soft-shell crabs, cleaned 2 cups buttermilk 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/2 cup white wine 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 pound...

Slow cookers are a harried cook's answer to an "instant" dinner: Throw the ingredients in the pot in the morning, and by day's end, a full-cooked meal awaits. Don't try to adapt stove-top recipes to the slow cooker. During the long process, foods give off more liquid, and seasonings can disappear. LAMB SHANKS ON WHITE BEANS Makes 4 servings 1 (19-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 4 carrots, cut in 1 / 4-inch slices 1 cup chopped onion 2 ribs celery, chopped 4 lamb shanks, about 3 pounds total 2 teaspoons dried tarragon 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 1 / 4 teaspoon black pepper 1 (28-ounce)