ROASTED GARLIC

If you like cooking with garlic, you'll LOVE cooking with roasted garlic! As raw garlic is strong and slightly spicy, roasted garlic becomes mild, sweet, and carmelized; perfect for spreading, mashing, and mixing. Roast up a big batch, and keep stock, so you can always and easily add a little something special to your favorite foods!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of garlic
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-leaving the skin and cloves intact, cut off the top 1/4" to 1/2" of the garlic head, exposing the the top of each clove of garlic
-drizzle the top of the garlic with about 2-3 tsp. olive oil
-generously sprinkle salt and pepper on top
-wrap garlic in aluminum foil
-cook in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes
-remove from oven, and allow garlic to cool
-peel away foil
-squeeze the garlic, and the soft cloves should come right out, or use a knife or fork to gently pull out the cloves
-keep in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator
-add to recipes as you see fit, enjoy!

SHOUT OUTS:
No particular shout outs... I do though, have a family that LOVES garlic, so a little extra in any meal is a treat!

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-Roast multiple heads of garlic at once, just wrap individually in foil.
-Mash up the roasted garlic and:
---add it to pasta sauces, soups, mayonnaise, gravies, pestos, and salad dressings
---mix with sour cream or goat cheese, and top a baked potato
---spread it onto crusty bread with a slice of brie or pair slice
---mix with cream cheese or hummus and create a cracker or vegetable dip
---place in a food processor with kalamata olives and capers for a delicious tapinade
---add to melted butter, and spread over a corn cobb
-When you sprinkle on the salt and pepper, sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley for more flavor.