Herbs add Flavor without adding salt, calories or fat.  They can turn a simple meal into a special event.  For ideas on individual herbs, follow the links above.  Some general tips for using fresh herbs:

• Use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs in a recipe as you would dried.
• Fresh herbs have delicate flavors.  Add them to soups and stews during the last hour of cooking.
• Meat Rubs - Chop herbs finely ( a food processor works well), mix with S&P and then rub into roasts, poultry, seafood before cooking.
• Try a teaspoon or two of chopped fresh herbs in bread recipes.
• To get a "feel" for the taste of different herbs, try adding 1-2 tsp of chopped herbs to a 1/4 cup of butter or cream cheese.

History of Herbs

It is fun to cook with herbs, but it is also interesting to look back and see how herbs have been used through the millennia.  We think  of ourselves as modern and different, but we can look back and see that Charlemagne grew sage in his garden.  The ancient Egyptians were cutting chives for their food.  The Greeks loved Basil and appreciated its fine fragrance as much as we do. It is fun to look back and see these contact points with those who went before us.

Some good websites for more information on herbs:

Linda Gilbert's Herb Column
Linda's herb columns are highly readable, providing whimsical as well as practical information about using and growing herbs.

Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
This is the most thorough discussion of herbs on the internet that I have found. He includes historical information, a linguistic discussion of the herb's name, uses in different parts of the world, and lots of little tid-bits of information he has collected from around the world.