Using fresh herbs to enhance dishes is a healthy (non-salty, non-fatty) way to boost their flavour or add an extra dimension to your meals. But these green leaves demand a delicate approach if they're to release their best.

Buying and storing

The best way to get fresh herbs is to grow them yourself. In this case, always harvest your herbs in the morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the sun makes them too warm.

If you're buying herbs, be careful to check their packaging. Buying herbs still in the soil is the best way of ensuring you're going to get the best flavour from your herb.

This also allows storage to be that much easier: when you're done, you simply plonk the pot on the windowsill to add a little greenery to your kitchen ? or add it to your growing herb garden.

Otherwise, if you must buy them in a packet, make sure they're sold in special air-filled bags that ensure they are never squashed or damaged on the shelf.

The oils responsible for their aromas and flavours start escaping as soon as their leaves, seeds and stems are cut.

So besides checking the sell-by date on the package, as well as the general state of the leaves (any discolouring or damage is unacceptable), make sure that when you're preparing your meal, the time taken between cutting your herbs (if you must chop them) and adding them to the pot is as short as possible.

If you must store herbs, keep them in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag.

For longer term storage (more than a few hours), you can use the Jamie Oliver trick of sticking the fresh herbs, as is, into the freezer. When you're ready to reuse them, simply run them under a gentle stream of cool (not cold) water and pat dry with a towel.

Cooking

Before we look at some specific herb recipes, bear these tips in mind before you take to the chopping board:

• Never mix two very strong herbs together. If you must combine them, put one strong with one milder flavour.
• The weaker the flavour of the main ingredient, the lower the level of added seasoning required.
• Leaves should be chopped very fine; more cut surface means more flavour release.
• Though herbs leave all sorts of openings for innovation, it's best to be conservative until you're familiar with its strength.
• Add herbs to soups or stews about 45 minutes before completing the cooking. But for cold foods such as dips, cheese, vegetables and dressings, herbs should be added several hours or overnight before using.
• If you're not sure about the taste of a herb, mix it with butter, let it sit for an hour or two, then spread it on a plain cracker.