ROASTED GARLIC

We are big time Garlic eaters. Raw garlic might stink but roasted garlic has a wonderful nutty taste and aromatic. They are smooth, creamy and jazz up a lot of food without too much work. I love to eat them straight roasted, use them in breads or on breads, in pasta & pasta sauces, soups, or just as appetizers – try them with pepper & salt, you will be amazed.
A lot of heads may be roasted at once and saved for later .  They will keep for a week in the refrigerator or frozen in pureed form.

(Each head will make about 2 tablespoons of garlic puree.)

1 Garlic Whole Head
1 tsp. Olive Oil

Preheat oven to about 375 Degrees F.
Peel the outer skin, but leave the skin on the cloves & the cloves intact.
Using a sharp knife, slice 1/4 – 1/2 inch off of the pointed end of the garlic head. It should be looking like the one below.
Place the garlic head on an aluminium foil, & drizzle the oil on it around slowly allowing the oil to seep in to the individual cloves.
Wrap the garlic head in the foil to a pouch you had initially placed it in.
(Do not do more than 2 garlic heads in a single pouch) They may be put on a baking tray, or individually in muffin pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes or till the cloves are brown & soft.
Remove from the oven & cool it enough to be able to touch it.
Peel the cloves with a fork or finger, or just squeeze them out of their skins.
*mash with a fork and use for cooking. Can be spread over warm French bread or crackers, mixed with sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes, mixed in with Parmesan and pasta, good for garlic butter spread, add it to sour cream or yogurt and salt for a great dip, add it to soups or sauce to deepen the flavor. Mix it into bread dough and bake it off, spread on pizza before you spread the sauce, put it in hummus, pizza topping, spaghetti sauce, twice-baked potatoes, salsa....ect.