Roasted Garlic Bruschetta with Crostini

This is an excellent appetizer to serve when you are doing your summer entertaining. Especially since it utilizes so many fresh herbs which many of us have growing in our gardens. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge until your guests come over. I actually recommend doing this because it lets the flavors combine better. If you don’t have the time to roast the garlic you could just sub regular minced garlic but the roasted adds such a nice depth of flavor.

Roasted Garlic Bruschetta with Crostini

Adapted from this recipe on Martha Stewart Living

• 1 loaf baguette or French bread, cut on the diagonal
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves Roasted Garlic (see this recipe for method)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes (each about 9 ounces), seeded and coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread slices flat on a baking sheet and drizzle (or brush) with olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. If making ahead of time, place crostini in a plastic zip-top bag until ready to use.

2. Place roasted garlic in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to use. Serve with the crostini

Roasted Garlic

• 1 head of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Cut the top third of garlic heads off so tops of cloves are exposed. Place heads, unpeeled, in small ovenproof dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with aluminum foil; bake 30 minutes.

3. Uncover and bake until the garlic cloves are soft and golden brown, another 30–40 minutes. (Make ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)

4. Once cooled, gently squeeze the cloves out of the peel.

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