Parsley, cilantro, basil, chives and mint are soft herbs: they go in at the end, chopped at the last moment. Thyme, rosemary and bay are hard herbs: they go in at the start and cook with the dish.
Fresh, upright leaves, with no black or wet parts.
Wash the bunch in cold water and dry it in a tea towel. For parsley and cilantro, keep the thin stems, they have flavour. For thyme and rosemary, hold the stem and slide your fingers against the grain, the leaves come off.
Two minutes.
In the fridge, the bunch in a glass of water, or rolled in damp paper, a week. Basil stays at room temperature, the cold blackens it. Chopped, they freeze in an ice cube tray with a little water or oil.
The goat cheese, honey and rosemary loaf: the rosemary stripped from its stem.
Very easy
Very easy