Getting the best flavor from fresh herbs
Add tender herbs such as basil, parsley, cilantro, and dill toward the end of cooking time. Or sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Cooking these tender herbs rapidly diffuses their flavor. Add strong-flavored hardy herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary earlier in the cooking process so that they have time to mellow. Add at the end, these hardy herbs may be too overpowering.

To get more flavor from dried herbs
Just before using, rub dried herbs between your fingers to release their flavor-carrying essential oils. Also, add dried herbs at the beginning of cooking time so that they have a chance to heat up and release more flavor.

Some simple herbs mixtures

FINES HERBES - Mix together 1 tablespoon each dried tarragon, dried marjoram, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried mint, and dried parsley flakes. Use to season fish or vegetables. (Makes 6 tablespoons)

SOUP SEASONING - Mix together 1 tablespoon each dried thyme, dried parsley flakes, dried basil, dried marjoram, ground celery seeds, and dried dillweed, and 1.5 teaspoons each dried rubbed sage and dried rosemary. (Makes 7 tablespoons)

HERBAL SALT - Mix together 2 tablespoons onion salt, 1 tablespoon each garlic salt and dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon each dried basil and dried marjoram, and half teaspoon each ground black pepper, dried dillweed, and dried thyme. (Makes about 1/3 cup)

BEEF SEASONING - Mix together 1 tablespoon each dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper. (Makes 1/4 cup)

PORK SEASONING - Mix together 2 tablespoons each dried rubbed sage and dried parsley flakes, 2 teaspoons each dried thyme and dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon garlic salt. (Makes 6 tablespoons)

POULTRY SEASONING - Combine 1 tablespoon each dried marjoram, dried basil, dried dillweed, and dried parsley flakes and 1 teaspoon each dried thyme and store-bought dried lemon peel. (Makes about 1/4 cup)

LAMB SEASONING - Mix together 1 tablespoon each dried parsley, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. (Makes 3 tablespoons)

FISH SEASONING - Mix together 1 tablespoon each dried tarragon, dried basil, dried dillweed, dried marjoram, and dried parsley flakes. (Makes about 1/3 cup)