Garlic contains vitamin C, sulfur and phytochemicals that help protect you against disease. It comes in about 300 different varieties, but more early garlic and late garlic is harvested and shipped from California to the United States than any other type. Garlic's strong flavor is reduced to mild when it is roasted. To roast garlic, slice just enough off the top of the head of garlic to reveal the inner flesh. Sprinkle a good amount of olive oil on the garlic, fold foil around it, and cook it in a preheated oven set on 375 degrees for almost one hour. Allow roasted garlic to cool before eating it.
Step 1
Pull the roasted head of garlic apart with your fingers so the cloves are all separated.
Step 2
Squeeze the end of each clove with your fingertips over a small bowl. Let the garlic fall out of the clove skins into the bowl, and discard the skins.
Step 3
Press the rounded side of a fork against the garlic in the bowl to give it a creamy consistency.
Step 4
Smear the sliced bread with the roasted and mashed garlic, using a butter knife.
Tips and Warnings
- If you don't want to take the time to mash the roasted garlic, squeeze the garlic right out of the skin and onto the bread. Distribute the mashed garlic evenly, using a knife. Sprinkle salt and pepper on roasted garlic, if you desire. Eat roasted garlic on crackers, cooked rice, pasta or cooked meat and fish. Eat roasted and mashed garlic in cooked and pureed white beans, or on raw cut vegetables. Stir some roasted and mashed garlic into soups, or add it to salad dressing and vegetable dip. Mix roasted and mashed garlic with cooked cut vegetables like string beans or mashed potatoes. Adjust the amount you add to suite your taste.
- Although some sources state roasted garlic can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four or five days, Linda J. Harris, Food Safety/Microbiology Specialist from the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, warns that storing roasted garlic in oil incorrectly increases your risk of getting botulism. To play it safe, throw any unused roasted garlic away.
Things You'll Need
- Crusty French or Italian bread, sliced
References
- The Arizona Cancer Center: Creamy Roasted Garlic
- Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center: NEHC Nutri-Facts Phytochemicals
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Garlic, Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vegetable of the Month: Garlic
- "Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks"; David Joachim; 2001
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