Easy Roasted Garlic & Garlic Infused Olive Oil! Check out these 2 methods

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Jean Roman

“Food, to me, is always about cooking and eating with those you love and care for.” – David Chang

This is one of our new favorites! After Dave & I experienced this at a wonderful restaurant, Mint 29 in Dearborn Michigan, we were hooked. This is so easy to do, I just had to share it with you… along with a bonus on how to make your own garlic infused olive oil.

Today I’ll show you how to roast a whole bulb, as well as cloves in olive oil to produce your own infused oil. So easy & so yum!

Watch my YouTube Video to watch me demonstrate!

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Our Favorite Recipes

Ingredients: Yields 1 roasted bulb AND ½ cup infused oil with ½ cup roasted cloves

See ingredients & step by step below for both recipes!

Watch as I show you the finished product! Watch below at my YouTube channel on how to!

Roasted Bulb~ You will need:

1 whole bulb of garlic
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt
Parchment paper

Carefully cut the top of the bulb off, about ½ inch until you see the cloves.

Place on parchment paper and drizzle the olive oil over the visible clove; sprinkle with the salt.

Fold parchment paper around the bulb, and tuck underneath.

Place in a preheated 250 degree oven and bake for 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the bulb.

To store: Place the bulb in a plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Infused Olive Oil & Roasted Garlic Cloves~ You will need:

Pre Peeled & packaged garlic cloves, about 4 of the bags. This is equivalent to about 4 bulbs of garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt

In a small baking dish, place the garlic cloves in a single layer; pour olive oil over top of them ensuring they are fully covered. Add more oil if needed.

Sprinkle with salt and bake in a preheated 250 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours or until mashable.

To store: Place infused olive oil in a container with lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Place cloves in a plastic container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Baste meats or veggies with your olive oil and serve cloves with steak or chicken or add to any vegetable dish!

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Added bonus: You can go to my blog at http://www.fordragonfliesandme.com to purchase my original cookbook, Lovingly Seasoned Eats and Treats in either a spiral bound soft cover OR NEW, a Downloadable PDF version. The cookbook has almost 1000 recipes on almost 500 pages! Check out the Cookbook Testimonials while you’re there!

Until next time remember to,
Eat fresh, shop local & have a happy day,
Jean

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Bruschetta with Feta Cheese & Balsamic Glaze

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Jean Roman

“To make a great garden, one must have a great idea or a great opportunity”
Sir George Sitwell

Aaron & I were in Myrtle Beach last summer and visited a local restaurant where we ordered pizza & bruschetta. To my surprise it was served with feta cheese & a delicious balsamic glaze. The best part about it though was that Aaron loved it!! I could hardly get him to eat my ‘basic’ bruschetta, but he devoured this. So of course I decided to put my own spin on this for my sweet little guy to enjoy at home!

Our Favorite Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

I loaf Italian bread unsliced
6-8 large roma tomatoes diced, Heirlooms are the most flavorful!
2 fresh garlic clove minced or 2 tsp jarred
½ cup extra virgin olive oil + ¼ cup+
½ cup fresh basil, snipped- Watch my video on how-to snip basil or any fresh herb in the video to the right
OR 2 TBSP dried
¼ cup fresh parsley, snipped OR 1 TBSP dried
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1- 8 ounce container feta cheese crumbles
1- 8.45 ounce bottle of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena glaze (I love the Kroger Private Selection brand).

With the garden bursting at the seams with ripe tomatoes, now is the perfect time to experiment with new recipes. Let me know if you have any tips for your bruschetta in the comments below!
Watch this video on how-to snip basil & other fresh herbs!

1. Combine in a medium sized bowl all ingredients EXCEPT feta cheese and balsamic glaze; mix well. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. While the tomato mixture is in the fridge, cut 6- 1” slices of Italian bread; use the ¼+ cup of olive oil and brush oil on both sides of each slice; place on a cookie sheet and toast bread on both sides under a broiler until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

3. Once bread is toasted, spoon tomato mixture evenly over bread; sprinkle 1 TBSP feta cheese on top of tomatoes; drizzle glaze over top.

Serve immediately with any pasta dish, chicken or fish dinner!

PRO TIP: When snipping your fresh basil, bunch about 8 to 10 leaves, hold firming with your fingers and snip with kitchen shears. Also, be sure to only use the ripest tomatoes, and of course Heirlooms are best!

Added bonus tip: This recipe has been altered from the original in my cookbook. You can go to my blog at www.fordragonfliesandme.com to purchase my original cookbook, Lovingly Seasoned Eats and Treats. The cookbook has almost 1000 recipes on almost 500 pages! Check out the Cookbook Testimonials while you’re there!

Garlic: 4 Easy Steps To Plant Your Fall Garlic

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Jean Roman

“Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.”
Alfred Austin

Garlic-Thyme Infused Olive Oil- See recipe link below

Did you know that September is the best time to plant your garlic for the following season?
Garlic is a staple in our home, and goes into most dishes.

There are two types of garlic, hardneck & softneck. Generally hardnecks tend to be more flavorful, where softneck varieties have a more mild flavor. These flavors are determined by the location & temperatures in which they were grown. Hardneck garlic grows best in Northern climates and can withstand cold winters down to zone 0. Softneck garlic prefers hot summers and mild winters from zone 8 to 12.

Garlic Scapes
Only hardneck varieties will develop garlic scape’s. These are the seedpods that will grow up out of the center of the garlic’s neck. These are harvested just before they begin to develop the ‘seed’. If not cut off, the plants energy will work towards making the seeds rather than a large bulb of garlic. The scape has a delightfully mild garlic flavor and can be added into many dishes including omelets, pasta sauces, meats, and more!

Here are my top picks for each variety.

Hardneck: Music is a delightful and pungent flavored white bulb.
German Red, a beautiful variegated bulb of white and red hues sporting a wonderful garlic spice to the pallet.

Softneck: Corsican Red originated in the Mediterranean island of Corsica and has a mild, complex & fruity aroma. Inchelium Red has a medium spiciness with a mild pungent taste.

Step 1: Choosing the perfect garlic bulb is essential. Make sure there are no defects, rotten spots, and find the largest bulbs. Whatever qualities the bulb you choose has will be developed in it’s next generation.

2. Once you’ve selected the best bulbs, divide them into separate cloves. Leave the skins on.

This is the appropriate way to plant your clove.

3. Make a hole in loosened soil about 4 inches deep. Placing the flat root side down put one clove into the hole; cover with dirt and tamp lightly; I cover with mulch, which happens to be grass clippings here.

Step 4. Repeat this process, planting your cloves about 4 to 6 inches apart. I recommend you place a stake in the ground marking it as garlic and the date you planted it. Despite our best intentions, we will forget! I even go as far as to take a photo & put it in my garden journal/ planner for the following growing season. If you plant in raised beds it will definitely be easier to remember, but still jot it down!
If you don’t keep that kind of information, I highly recommend you start!

Garlic is not for the faint of heart, it takes patience but the reward is worth the wait!
…now walk away and dream of spring, because this is where the patience starts.

Click this link for my recipe for Garlic- Thyme Infused Oil. It’s wonderful to toss in pasta or baste on fish or any meat. https://bit.ly/3R4b8dm

If you enjoyed this post please like, share, and let me know your tips & tricks for planting garlic. What’s your favorite variety?
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Happy Day,
Jean