"Polly Esther" wrote:
>
>Where do I begin?

Dig up a small sunny patch of garden handy to your kitchen (4' X 6' is
plenty); plant parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, and chives for
starters. Buying small containers of live plants is the least
expensive method, certainly cheaper than buying herbs from the produce
market, and seeds can be pricy nor will you need more than a few
plants of each so seeds can be wasteful. Two parsley plants can
provide enough for a family all summer and way into the fall. If you
decide to plant mint use a large clay pot and bury the pot 2/3 into
the ground. Mint is extremely invasive, if not controlled it will
spread like wildfire and is very difficult to remove without killing
everything else... usually everything else dies and the mint comes
back.

>I'm thinking I'll give cooking with fresh herbs a try.
>Finally, there are some available at our little market but I seriously doubt
>that they are fresh. The price wouldn't put me in the poor house to just
>try some.
> I think a lot depends on what I usually cook. Pretty much boring to you
>all. Spaghetti, pizza, red beans and rice, gumbo, pot roast, fried chicken
>(not really fried anymore), speckled butter beans with purple hull peas.
> Which fresh herb to try first? and what sort of general ratio do I use
>between recipes calling for dried and actually having a fresh one? Polly
>