Soft & Hard Herbs - not a complete list and these are my opinions - folks may differ!
Soft herbs are those with delicate stems that are often edible.
Hard Herbs/Woody herbs are plants that form woody stems, typically with harder and more durable stems than soft herbs which are more delicate with tender, fleshy leaves and stems that are prone to bruising, and wilting.
Soft Herbs
Parsley, dill, stevia, basil, chervil, cilantro, chives are more delicate and are best used at the end of cooking or both in the beginning and then a bit more at the end for a burst of flavor. These soft herbs are wonderful in cold dishes.
Hard herbs, like thyme, mint, rose geranium, tarragon, lavender, oregano, true curry leaf, lemon verbena, bay, sage and rosemary, can handle intense cooking methods like roasting or stews. Woody herbs are often perennials, meaning they live for more than two years, and some can be biennials (living for two years).
Are both easy to preserve by drying?
Hard herbs are easier to preserve by drying due to their lower moisture content.
CRAVE WORTHY MARINARA SAUCE WITH SOFT & HARD HERBS
Note that the onion is cut in half, lengthwise. Called cutting from pole to pole or from top to bottom, this allows the onion to keep its shape pretty well during cooking.
ngredients
6 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced/1 scant teaspoon
1 medium onion, 8 oz or so, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
A good 3 cups/28 oz whole or diced tomatoes with juice
Sprig of oregano - a 1” sprig is good
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil - chopped or torn into small pieces at the last minute
Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
Melt butter over medium low heat in saucepan.
Stir in garlic and cook just until it smells fragrant, but not brown.
Add tomatoes and smoosh down with potato masher if using whole tomatoes.
Add onion halves and stir them around a bit. No worries if some pieces separate off since onion gets removed before serving.
Continue to cook, uncovered, 45 minutes or so. Give it a stir now and then. It’s done when onion looks fairly translucent and limp and sauce thickens.
Remove onion, oregano stem, then add salt and pepper and basil. Let it cook a couple of minutes for basil to infuse its flavor.
Serve over spaghetti with a shower of Parmesan.
Serves 4-5.
Tips:
Quality tomatoes make the best sauce.
Canned San Marzano Italian tomatoes are what Marcella recommended.
Longer and skinnier than plum tomatoes, San Marzanos have thin skins and thick flesh. Those features translate into a thicker, more flavorful sauc