Roasted Garlic Spread

This was a spread we made for our Winter Solstice Dinner.

This looks gross...especially with the oils coming out, but it really is quite good and quite simple. The flavor is surprising if you've never had this. There is a sweetness you don't anticipate, even if someone tells you you'll be able to taste a sweetness. Sweet from garlic? Yes! The roasting process caramelizes the garlic. I know it sounds weird, but it's pretty good! Serve this with crackers, toasted bread, meat, etc.

Ingredients:

Minced garlic (as much or as little as you want)

Olive Oil

Roasted Red Pepper (this is found with all the other seasonings at the grocery store)-optional

Method:

1. You can either use just plain garlic or you can mix some roasted red pepper in. In the photo, the garlic in front has the red pepper and the garlic in the back is just plain garlic.
2. Spread your garlic over the bottom of your cooking pan about in a layer about 1/4-1/2" thick. We used a mini bread pan because it was the right size for the amount we made.
3. Pour some olive oil in with the garlic. Our recipe says to just cover the garlic, but as you can see, it was a lot of oil. You could try using less oil, you'll just need to experiment a little bit.
4. Place uncovered in the oven (400 degrees) and roast for about 20 minutes.
5. The oils from the garlic are great for making garlic toast or just for dipping toast in.