Roasted Garlic Appetizer

Garlic aficionados will love this easy recipe for roasted garlic as an appetizer to be served with fresh bread or bruschetta. And those who shy away from raw garlic will be pleasantly surprised at how its pungent bite mellows into a mild, nutty flavor that leaves none of that characteristic aftertaste.

Makes: As much as needed

• Whole bulbs garlic, as desired (4 to 6 whole garlic bulbs generously
  serve a small crowd as an appetizer spread)
• Fresh whole-grain Italian or French bread, as needed,
  sliced about ½ inch thick, or 1 recipe Bruschetta

Optional embellishments:

• Finely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• Sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• Roasted red bell peppers, thinly sliced

Remove some of the papery outer layers from the garlic, but leave the bulbs intact. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350º F oven (or 400º F degree toaster) oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft. Test with a toothpick or a sharp skewer.

When the garlic bulbs are cool enough to handle, leaving the bulb intact, slice off the very tops so that soft roasted garlic can be squeezed out from the clove. arrange the bulbs on a serving plate. Arrange any or all of the optional embellishments in small bowls.

Let everyone squeeze out and spread the roasted garlic onto bread slices, then embellish as they’d like, topping individual sliced with olives, dried tomatoes and or roasted peppers.

• Here are more tasty vegan appetizers.