Try this For killer toasted garlic bread, mix the 1 part roasted garlic with 2 parts butter. Spread it on a nice slice of bread making sure you go all the way to the edge or it will burn, and put it about 4" under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it does not incinerate.

Stuck indoors? Preheat the oven to 350F and place the garlic in a pan rather than foil. Some folks wrap it in foil and then bake.

In a hurry? Cut off the garlic's top, soak it under water for about 3 minutes, wrap in plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the wrap so the steam will escape, and microwave on high for about a minute.

Roasted Garlic Garlic Bread

Raw garlic is harsh and sulfury, strong enough to ward off vampires. But it gets mellow, nutty, and sweet when cooked. But not too mellow. It still retains its unique character. One of the best ways to mellow garlic is to roast garlic. It makes a great spread on bread, toast, or crackers. I also use it in mashed potatoes, salad dressings, soups, and sauces. It's easy.

Recipe

Makes. 1 head of garlic, enough for 4 as an appetizer
Preparation time. In the kitchen, 5 minutes, on the grill, 30-45 minutes
Serve with. Caprese tomato salad

Ingredients
2 heads of garlic, the larger the better
2 teaspoon of olive oil
1 loaf of a crusty French baguette

Do this
1) Setup your grill for 2-zone indirect cooking and preheat to medium.

2) With a sharp knife, cut off the pointy end of each garlic head about 1/2" below the top of the head. This should be deep enough to expose the flesh of most of the cloves within. If not, cut a little further down. Separate the cloves slightly so it is loose and there is a bit of space between cloves. On the broad, root end, flatten it a bit so it will sit up straight by trimming the root.

3) Tear off a square of aluminum foil, and sit the head on the foil. Wrap the lower quarter of the head in foil so it will act like a heat shield during re-entry. Drip the oil over the bare garlic meat and let a little run down between the cloves. If you like, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the exposed flesh.

4) Place the whole shootin' match on the grill in the indirect heat zone. After about 30 minutes stick a pointy knife into one of the center cloves. If it meets resistence, cook another 15-30 minutes. If it slides in like buttah, it is done.

5) I like to serve it on a plate drizzled with some of my best olive oil and fresh thyme or rosemary. You can dig out the cloves with a knife, and spread it on the bread.

Optional. I like to put out some fresh chevre, a creamy goat cheese, and spread it on the bread after the garlic. A sliver of sundried tomato and basil are also winning toppers. Or you can mix them all together and serve as a cheese spread. Try warm brie, too.

Optional. Make roasted garlic, squeeze out the cloves, and freeze it so you have some on hand next time you make mashed potatoes.

This page was revised on 10/21/2009

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