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roast garlic with crusty bread

You will need.. 2-4 whole heads of garlic (1-2 per person) olive oil pinch of mixed herbs salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ciabatta loaf 100g/4oz cream cheese* (flavoured with herbs if liked) (optional - omit for vegan*) a few sprigs of parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350° F GasMark 4. Trim the roots and the very tips of the garlic heads (leave the heads intact) and remove any loose skin. Place the heads of garlic into a small oven proof dish, drizzle olive oil over them to about 1/4 inch depth and sprinkle with the mixed herbs and salt and pepper. Cover with greased foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes basting in the oil occasionally. Check whether they are ready by piercing with the tip of a sharp knife. If they are cooked they should be very soft and tender. Divide the cream cheese (if using) between two small ramekins and decorate with the parsley sprigs. Place on individual serving plates with 1-2 heads of garlic each, some of the oil in which it cooked and sliced ciabatta. Eat by squeezing out the sweet, soft pulp of each clove of garlic from its papery skin onto the bread which you have spread with cream cheese (if using). You may want to provide a finger bowl and napkin each! Copyright The Vegetarian Society 1997.

Garlic is a wonderful aphrodisiac, when roasted in the oven it takes on a wonderfully sweet and mild flavour, and if you both eat it, you won't notice it on your breath. Chewing a sprig of parsley also helps to remove the smell! Try to choose plump, juicy heads of garlic with quite large individual cloves so that they do not dry out in the oven.

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