Chicken Tarragon Salad with Apples and Grapes

On the first Tuesday of June each year, the lovely Joan hosts the quilting group in her beautiful home and garden for brunch.  Her home looks like a feature in an upscale magazine.  I don't think I have ever seen more beautiful gardens.  So what is more fitting to bring to brunch in a lovely home/garden than this succulent, crunchy, fruity, herb-y, tangy, sweet, fresh, Chicken Tarragon Salad?  Absolutely nothing!!!!

Years ago I tasted a salad just like this in a local eatery and fell in love.  Lucky for me I soon purchased one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Fosters Market, and found this recipe.  It was love at first bite and my family and friends have been loving it ever since. 

It might be just perfect for your July 4th celebration, or any other occasion or even no occasion at all.  It's perfect anytime, anywhere (in my humble opinion of course).  

Lemon Balm, Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, and Tarragon

Chicken Tarragon Salad with Apples and Grapes



6 cups of shredded chicken breasts
3 ribs of celery, sliced on the bias
1 cup of red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 tart apple of your choice, sliced thinly
1 ½ cups of Tarragon Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh lemon balm (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Combine the chicken, celery, apple, grapes, mayonnaise, parsley, tarragon, and lemon balm in a blow and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
This is better if made and allowed to marinate for at least 8 hours.


 
Tarragon Mayonnaise

1 cup of good quality mayonnaise
3 tablespoons of tarragon vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup of the tarragon that comes packed in the vinegar (drained with stems removed or ¼ cup of dried tarragon soaked in the 3 tablespoons of vinegar listed above)
1 shallot minced or 2 tablespoons of minced red onion or scallion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste




Place all of the ingredients except the shallots in a food processor and blend well. Add the shallots and pulse to blend.


Serve immediately or store for up to one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Makes about 1 ¾ cups of mayonnaise.



*May also be used as a dip for vegetables, sliced tomatoes, or on a sandwich.


Cook’s notes:
I didn’t have a full lemon so I used the juice from ½ of a Clementine. To ramp up the lemon flavor I added about 1/3 cup of chopped, fresh lemon balm to the chicken salad. I did not like the taste or flavor of the vinegar soaked tarragon in the bottle of vinegar I had, so I omitted that and added 1 ½ cups of chopped fresh tarragon to the mayonnaise instead. The flavor was wonderful.