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

I'd put less thyme.

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

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.