Add some much-needed zing to the last days of winter.

Remove the roasted garlic cloves from their papery skins and spread them on slices of toasted baguette, or squeeze them out, mash with a fork and use them for cooking. They’re great stirred into buttery mashed potatoes, gravies or hearty soups.

 
Ingredients

• 4 heads garlic
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch sea salt
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs, stems removed

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel away any loose skin from the garlic. With a sharp knife, slice through each garlic head, removing about 1/4" of the top, so the tips of the cloves are exposed.

2 Place the garlic heads upright on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

3 Drizzle the garlic with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the salt and thyme.

4 Fold the foil over to create a tightly sealed envelope and place directly on the middle oven rack. Roast for 1 hour, until the cloves are sweet and caramelized.

5 Serve immediately.

Prep and cook time 1 hour
Makes 4