Roasted Garlic
Serve whole roasted garlic heads warm as an appetizer spread for French or Italian bread or toasted pita. Offer the roasted cloves in one small dish and a high-quality extra virgin olive oil in another. Diners can dip the bread in olive oil, then smear a clove of garlic on it.
1 or more heads of garlic
Olive oil
Peel away the dry outer layers of skin from desired number of heads of garlic (1 medium head yields about 1 tablespoon of garlic paste). Leave skins of cloves intact. Cut off the pointed top portion (about 1/4 inch) with a sharp knife, leaving the bulb intact but exposing the top of the individual cloves of garlic.
Place the head(s) of garlic, cut side up, in a small baking dish or garlic roaster. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake, covered, in a 400 degrees oven for about 40 minutes or until cloves feel soft when pressed and are carmelized. When it's just cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of each clove.
What you don't use may be refrigerated for several days, or squeeze out the pulp into a small dish, cover with olive oil, and store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Other Ways to use Roasted Garlic:
- Blend into oil and vinegar for a dressing for tossed salad.
- Add to cream soups, such as potato or onion, seasoning to taste.
- Mix with a little olive oil and toss with hot cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese.
- Use as a topping for pizza.
- Roasted Garlic Twice-Baked Potatoes with Spinach
