Basil is the basis for pesto sauce, and chopped basil goes well in tomato sauce and soup, as well as meat, poultry, pasta, rice and egg dishes. Add whole basil leaves to a green salad or arrange them over a pizza. Basil loses its unique flavor when dried. Useful throughout the year, wreaths of this noble laurel once crowned ancient heroes. Most aromatic when dried, bay leaves are a vital part of a bouquet garni and useful for soups, stews and casseroles, as well as marinades for meat, fish and poultry.
Regular clipping is all that's required to keep chives flourishing.
The mild onion-flavored leaves are used fresh in salads as well as cheese, egg and vegetable dished. Freeze-dried chives are a fine substitute when fresh are not available. Chervil has little flavor of its own, but when combined with other herbs and spices produces a more robust flavor to savory cooking. Also called coriander, cilantro has a bold, almost citrus flavor popular in the highly spiced cuisines of Asia, the Caribbean, India, Latin America and Spain. Add chopped cilantro leaves to rice and noodle dishes as well as tomato salad, relish and salsa.