Simmer five carefully peeled and chopped tomatoes with the garlic, thyme and bay leaf for five minutes.

I'd put less thyme.

As bees in early summer swarm apace / through flowery fields, when forth from dale and dell / they lead the full-grown offspring of the race, / or with the liquid honey store each cell, / and make the teeming hive with nectarous sweets to swell. / These ease the comers of their loads, those drive / the drones afar. The busy work each plies, / and sweet with thyme and honey smells the hive.

Basil, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano are popular herbs.