If you grow your own herbs, you are aware that (almost) everything has a season (unless you live in Florida, but even then).

Some herbs are stars of the show, like parsley or cilantro. They impart bright, clean flavors to any dish. Bay leaves, however, always seem to take a background role. If cilantro is a movie star ...

The following are suggested herb blends. (Assume equal parts unless specified.) Bay leaf, 2 parts parsley, thyme. The herbs may be wrapped in cheesecloth or the parsley wrapped around the thyme and ...

The exception of course are woody herbs like rosemary and bay leaf, which are actually aromatic trees and are not true herbs.

Bay leaves can be used to flavour vinegars and pâtés, and in pickling and marinades. Long cooking draws out the aroma of this herb and most braised, poached and stewed dishes benefit from the ...

Although fresh leaves are becoming more widely available, they are usually sold dried. The dried bay leaves are more strongly flavoured than fresh ones, but the uses for both are the same.