Slideshow: Nine herb-garden essentials
Fresh recipe ideas
Buying tips and sources
Fresh herbs are simply the best flavorings for many foods and drinks. But there's nothing simple about the complex array of tastes they impart to dishes. "Fresh herbs open up the senses and invite one to cook in a looser, freer way," says Carolyn Dille, author of a book on cooking with herbs and the first chef at Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley. "The pleasure they bring to the garden and the kitchen is indispensable."
Dille, who gardens in Santa Cruz, says that dried herbs are no match for those that are freshly picked from the garden. "They're totally different creatures," she emphasizes. "Fresh herbs contain all of their complex volatile oils. Once the herbs have dried, some oils dissipate and flavors change."Even herbs purchased fresh at the produce market have lost some of their essences by the time they're sold. "From a flavor perspective, it's a real plus to grow your own," says Dille.
