A few weekends ago I attended a huge picnic on a ranch. The hosts provided the meat, drinks, and entertainment while the guests were asked to bring an appetizer, salad, or dessert-pot luck style. As I was hitting the appetizer side of the giant flatbed (where all of the food was laid out) I discovered a super easy, totally tasty appetizer that made me wonder, why didn't I think of that? Roasted garlic with tiny croutons. Someone had roasted up a bunch of garlic heads and crisped up pieces of bread. The guests were allowed to stab a clove or two of the gooey, sweet garlic and smear it on to a piece of crusty bread. Bite-sized and delicious, I made a whole plate full of these before heading back over to my friends. This is great for feeding a crowd, a picnic potluck, or a wine tasting party at an art gallery. To roast garlic, cut about 1/4 inch off of the top of a garlic head. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Sit garlic cut side up, cover with foil and bake at 350°F until garlic skin is golden brown and cloves are tender-about 45-55 minutes. Serve with Croutons and voila, instant appetizer!
