For a quick bouquet garni for soups, stews or sauces, use a tea infuser instead of the usual muslin bag. Fill with dried parsley, dried thyme and a crumbled bay leaf (the traditional mix). Or try celery seed, fennel seed and dried basil, marjoram or tarragon. Taste the dish often as it cooks and remove the herbs when the taste is right.
You could also make a fresh herb bouquet garni by tying the following together with fine string - a sprig of parsley, thyme, rosemary and a bay leaf.
When you're substituting dried herbs for fresh, use less as a rule of thumb: 1 teaspoon of dried herbs replaces 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Crumble dried herbs between your fingers to release their flavour.
If you are short of tarragon, use parsley or chervil instead - but increase the quantity by about 50 per cent. If you're out of thyme, use marjoram, oregano or a bay leaf.
Thyme on your hands? Dry whole plants upside-down in perforated paper bags; then use them to make herb wreaths or sachets. Or tie the dried bunches with ribbon and hang them from hooks for a country kitchen atmosphere.
Herbs