Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is a vegetable that freezes very well, so fill up the slow cooker and make a large batch. I add it to everything from mashed potatoes to scrambled eggs. Serve these heads whole, with some crostini on the side for spreading with the soft and sweet cloves.

Makes 8 heads | Prep time: 10 minutes | Minimum cook time: 3 hours in a medium slow cooker

8 heads garlic

1 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or ¹/₂ teaspoon dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cut off the top 1-inch of each garlic head to expose the cloves; reserve cut off clove portions for another use. Place heads in the slow cooker, and pour oil over them. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper.

2. Cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or until garlic is very tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the cover, and allow garlic to cool in oil.

3. Remove garlic from oil with a slotted spoon. Pop cloves out of heads and discard skins. Transfer garlic to a storage container or heavy resealable plastic bag.

Note: The garlic can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Variation:

 Substitute oregano or sage for the thyme.

As garlic ages, bitter green shoots begin to emerge from the individual cloves. Never buy a head if the shoots are visible, and for a recipe like this one don’t use heads if you see green shoots after cutting off the top of the head. You don’t have to discard the heads; break them into individual cloves and remove the green centers before chopping or mincing.