Gratitude and Garlic

4.84 from 12 votes

Whole Garlic Heads for Roasting

(I originally published this in 2011, and I thought I’d bring it back to the top of the stackย and share it with you today, with a few updates.ย I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with love, family, friends, gratitude, and garlic.)

I don’t remember if it was my first or second Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, but mom wanted to be supportive of her teenager, so she bought me a Tofurky. ย This was before the Tofurky brand had all sorts of fake meats, and even before veggie meats were in just about every grocery store. I suppose it was a bit ahead of its time.

It was a “fake turkey kit” that came in a plain cardboard box and cost somewhere around $35 (and that’s circa-1991 dollars!). ย If memory serves, the package included a quasi-turkey-shaped loaf, some bread crumbs to be stuffed into the cavity of the “bird,” and fake skin that needed to be stretched over the whole thing.

It was pretty gross.

I think they’ve improved it since then (and you can now find them much more easily; I think ours might have actually been special order), but I wouldn’t know for sure — that fake skin was scarring enough that I’ll never go back down that road.

Every year since, instead of trying to fit in, I just filled my plate with plenty of side dishes. But there was a small part of me that did still feel like I was missing something. After some consideration, I decided that a good solution is to come up with a new tradition. Instead of focusing on what I can’t have, I came up with up with something else I love, and simply chose to make that a part of the holiday.

Peeling the garlic before roasting

The other night I roasted some fingerling potatoes and tossed a few whole garlic cloves on the baking pan, just for kicks. I was surprised at how giddy I became when I snapped up those little morsels of sticky-sweet-garlicky-goodness.

That’s when I realized that roasted garlic absolutely had to become the new Thanksgiving tradition for my family. Nowadays, even though I’ve started eating turkey again (we get ours from Harvest Gathering Farm), I’ve continued the garlic tradition. It really is a wonderful addition to the meal – it’s like an additional condiment.

To make it a little more festive, rather than peeling each clove and roasting them separately, we go with the whole-roasted-bulb style. It’s simple and easy. Better yet, considering how much competition there is for oven space during The Big Day, you can prep them early and then justย place them directly on the oven rack, fitting them around whatever else is baking.

I should probably plan on making breath mints a new Thanksgiving tradition too. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Whole Roasted Garlic

Peeling the garlic before roasting
4.84 from 12 votes

Whole Roasted Garlic

By: Andrew Wilder
Wrapping the garlic in aluminum foil makes it easy to fit around other items in an already-full oven. One large head of garlic is enough for 3-4 people, depending on how much they like garlic, of course.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 3 Servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Generous pinches of sea salt and ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (350 degrees will work fine, too.)
  • Cut the top of the garlic so as to remove the tip and slice open the top of each cloves. This makes it easier to extract them after they're cooked. If there are smaller cloves on the side, be sure to slice those open as well. Peel away any loose skin, but leave enough to hold the cloves together.
  • Place the head, cut side up, on an ~8" square of aluminum foil. (Or use a clay garlic roaster.) Drizzle the olive oil over it, getting being sure to get plenty of oil into the open cloves. Rub the oil around to coat the garlic evenly. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top.
  • Fold up the foil and give it a twist at the top to keep it closed.
  • Bake directly on an oven rack or on a baking sheet for 30-40 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then carefully scoop/squeeze out the garlic and spread liberally on fresh, whole-grain bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal, Fat: 2g, Vitamin C: 0.3mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
A photo of Andrew Wilder leaning into the frame and smiling, hovering over mixing bowls in the kitchen.

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Hi! My name is Andrew Wilder, and I think healthy eating doesnโ€™t have to suck. With just three simple eating rules, we'll kickstart your journey into the delicious and vibrant world of unprocessed food.

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34 Comments
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November 24, 2014 7:49 am

I remember and love this post. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, dear Andrew.

November 24, 2014 7:26 am

Happy Thanksgiving Andrew, wishing you the best!

Savvy
November 24, 2014 7:24 am

5 stars
Roasted garlic has been a fave for years!! My ski buddies are also fans so many dinners with the wonderful soft, nuttiness that comes with roasting garlic! Thanks for sharing your journey!!

marge201
January 15, 2013 3:35 pm

5 stars
I’m in love with roasted garlic, too. Since I’m an environmentalist (can’t help myself), I bought a clay garlic roaster to avoid the constant use of aluminum foil and it is GREAT. Now I realize that a small clay roaster would be better because the garlic roaster doesn’t hold all the garlic I like to make in one batch and the small roaster would be perfect. I think I learned the technique from The Shiksa’s site but your nice directions here are excellent, too. I don’t think roasted creamy garlic gives the same garlic breath as raw garlic. I hope not!

December 1, 2011 5:49 am

It was nice to reminisce with you on the Tofurkey. Heehee…i’ve never actually had it..but I have had that Quorn stuff…it takes Turkeys spot on the plate but I don’t think it’s necessary by any stretch. There’s already too much food on the table…and PIE. we must make room for pie!!!! Roasted garlic is a must in our kitchen. I only make my marinara sauce from scratch with roasted garlic. 2 heads. it’s awesome! and garlic + garlic cancels each other other, so go ahead and make out. ๐Ÿ™‚

November 29, 2011 6:35 pm

i JUST made roasted garlic today! how timely!

November 29, 2011 12:39 am

I’m madly in love with roasted garlic. I love the idea of making it a Thanksgiving tradition. And whenever I have vegetarians over for Thanksgiving, I always make sure to serve them a suitable “main course” dish that is not fake meat. Last year it was Mac & Cheese. The year before that was a savory bread pudding.

November 26, 2011 4:26 pm

I love roasted garlic and have always wanted to try one of these guys at home. Now I have the tools to do so; yum!

November 26, 2011 9:34 am

That’s freshener. I hate auto correct! GREG

November 26, 2011 9:33 am

I use roasted garlic as an air freshened! GREG