Roasted Garlic w/ Thyme

One of my favorite ways to eat garlic is roasting it.  It’s so flavorful, smooth and sweet like caramelized candy.  Before my gluten-free days, I used to love to smother it over a piece of toasted bread.  Now I love having it as a condiment, it goes well with almost every dish.  Add it into a veggie dish, eat it with a piece of roasted pastured chicken, serve it with some fresh goat cheese and summer stone fruit, the possibilities are endless. 

Roasted Garlic w/ Thyme

Equipment: Small piece of parchment paper, small piece of recycled aluminum foil

• 1 fresh garlic bulb
• 1 tablespoon pasture butter (See Resources)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
• Unrefined Celtic sea salt (See Resources)
• Freshly ground black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.    Remove first layer of outer paper-like skin of the garlic bulb. 

3.    Slice the top of the garlic bulb off so you expose the garlic cloves. 

4.    Place small piece (about 12 inches) of foil on flat surface.  Place same size parchment paper on top of foil.  Place garlic bulb, root-side down in middle of parchment paper.  Season garlic bulb with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add sprig of thyme on top of garlic.  Place pasture butter on top.

5.     Wrap up the garlic with the parchment paper and foil, making sure the parchment paper does NOT stick out of the foil. 

6.    Set timer for 40 minutes.

7.     Unwrap garlic in oven, enough so the garlic bulb is exposed.  Set timer for about 10 minutes.

8.    Garlic is done when it golden brown and fragrant (sometimes the garlic cloves will just start to pop out of their shell a bit at this point).

9.    Let rest about 5 minutes before serving.  Eat as is, spread on gluten-free bread or crackers, eat with raw cheese and fresh fruit, use with a veggie dish, serve with meat dishes, etc.

Note: If you are roasting something in the oven at 350-375 degrees, the garlic will roast beautifully at these temperatures too.  It will take just a bit longer, but still have the same end result.  That’s one of the great things about roasting garlic is that you can just throw it in with whatever you are baking/roasting.