Salted basil and oregano

Both the basil and oregano were pretty scruffy looking - lots of yellowing leaves and stalks.  But that's okay. Take out the worst leaves and the woodiest stalks and just chop everything up finely and mix it with salt and you'll have a lovely fresh-tasting seasoning all winter. I use about two or three teaspoons of salt to a cup of chopped herbs, but it doesn't need to be exact. If there is plenty of undissolved salt in the jar after an hour, then you've used enough. I keep the jars in the fridge but that's probably not necessary. Salt is a great preservative.

Try sprinkling some salted basil or oregano over a tomato and onion salad, then drizzle a wee bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over just before serving..... Wow! You'll like it. It'll go really well with pasta dishes, pizza and a whole bunch of other stuff. And because the herbs are already prepared, it's minimal hassle.

I first encountered this method when my mother in law presented me with a large jar of salted parsley. I left it lying around for ages before trying it as an addition to a pot of winter vegetable soup. After that I started to use it regularly and began salting my own herbs (though I don't do parsley - now that mum-in-law knows I like it I've got more than I know what to do with).