Love deeply. Laugh. Cry. Talk to God. Be realistic about the to-do list. Stay in touch. Hug. Dream. Smile. Break Bread often with Family. Spend Time with your Girlfriends. Shop til you Drop! Extend Grace. Be Quick to Forgive and Slow to Anger. Walk. Breathe. Sing. Dance. Read. Eat Chocolate. Savor a Good Glass of Wine. Wiggle your Toes. Sleep well. Life is Good!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Roasted Gaaaah-lic!





Let's talk FOOD!!  I roasted garlic!  I know it's easy to just cut the top off, drizzle it with olive oil and stick it in the oven.  That's cute 'n all for a small gathering of friends for a wine tasting, BUT, I'm talking serious business here!  I'm talking about adding roasted garlic to soups, spreads, pasta.  You name it!  And when you always have it on hand, it's a cinch to toss in a few cloves or mash up a few and mix into your favorite spreads or dips.  The possibilities are endless!

What little garlic I get from my garden is often used fresh.  There's never enough to really make an impact on 'shortcuts' in the kitchen.   Seein' as how I use garlic (roasted, minced or dried) in about 75% of the dishes I prepare, I like to keep it on hand - ready and waiting!  Whether you need a few cloves or half a cup, it's waiting!! 

This is how I roll!!

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I purchase a large bag (approx 3#) of peeled garlic cloves.  I told ya this was a shortcut!  Pour it all on to a piece of foil on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  I withhold any other seasonings.




Pull the ends of the foil up and fold and crimp tightly to hold in steam.  Roast at 250-300 degrees for two hours or more.  The smell will no doubt chase any lingering vampires out of every nook and cranny!




Voila!!  Roasted garlic!




I don't bother trying to pressure can it for long term use because it keeps well in the fridge.  I just spoon it all into pint size jars and stick them in the fridge and use as needed.  I've done this twice in the last six months.  Trust me!  It will keep in the fridge for ... well, let's just say, I 'lost' a jar at the back of the fridge once.  Beats me how long it was in there.  But it was still good!  Scouts' Honor!!




If I were gonna make up a large enough amount to make it worth pulling out the pressure canner, I'd probably do 3-4 bags at a time and can them in 1/2 pint jars.  No need to put any liquid in the jar.  Next time I do a batch of caramelized onions, maybe I'll do some more garlic and process it all at once.  I'll have enough for a year!  Maybe!  Just, maybe!  Did I mention it really smells up the house?  Just keep some Oust on hand and keep the overhead fan drawing it outside!  Hubs came home the other night and said he knew what I was doing when he got outta the truck!  [smirk]  The Oust really does work!  I used it twice this week ... fried oysters and garlic!



1 comment:

  1. Yum!! This one goes on the to-do list for sure!! I can just see the hubs grinnin' when he takes a bite!

    ReplyDelete