Bread Dipping Companion, Roasted Garlic Cloves

Remove excess paper peeling from the head of garlic, but leave the garlic head intact. Cut the top (the pointed end) off the head of garlic. Place the head of garlic on a square piece of foil large enough to wrap the garlic in, for easy cleanup.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the garlic cloves. Wrap the garlic head until completely enclosed within the foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about 40 minutes, until the garlic is completely soft and lightly browned. Allow to cool just enough to handle the garlic.

To serve, separate the head into individual cloves. Allow your guest to squeeze out the softened garlic as needed. Roasted garlic is a great spread on lightly toasted pieces of Italian bread or baguette. Offer the roasted cloves in one small dish and a high-quality extra virgin olive oil in another. Diner guests can dip the bread in olive oil, then spread a roasted clove of garlic on it. You can also add roasted garlic cloves to whipped or mashed potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes.