Garlic Lover Recipe

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Trim the top 1/4 inch off each garlic bulb to expose the tops of the cloves. Place bulbs on a sheet of foil or in a small baking dish.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the exposed cloves, ensuring oil seeps into the bulb. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sea salt evenly over bulbs.

Wrap bulbs loosely in foil (or cover the dish) and roast on the middle rack for 35–45 minutes, until cloves are soft, deeply golden and can be easily squeezed out. Roast time depends on bulb size; check after 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Squeeze roasted cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and mash to a smooth paste with a fork. Reserve 4 tablespoons of this roasted garlic paste for garnish and use remaining paste as desired.

While garlic is roasting, prepare the sauce. In a small food processor or blender, combine 6 peeled raw garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Pulse until garlic is finely minced and slightly puréed (this mellows raw garlic when combined with yogurt).

Add 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and the optional chopped dill to the processor. Pulse until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust salt, lemon or pepper as needed.

If the sauce is too thick, thin with 1–2 tablespoons of cold water or more lemon juice to desired consistency. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl and chill while preparing crostini.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) or use the oven after roasted garlic has finished (allow it to cool briefly). Slice the baguette on a diagonal into 1/3-inch (about 1 cm) slices to yield crisp crostini.

In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons softened butter, 3 minced garlic cloves (for the butter), 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Mix until even.

Brush one side of each bread slice with the garlic butter mixture. Arrange buttered slices on a baking sheet, buttered side up. Bake 8–10 minutes, or until edges are golden and butter is bubbly. For extra crispness, broil 30–60 seconds—watch closely to avoid burning.

Remove crostini and let cool slightly. If desired, rub the top of each warm crostini with a reserved cut clove of raw garlic for an additional fresh garlic hit.

Place the chilled garlic yogurt sauce in the center of a shallow serving plate or bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create a well or swirl.

Stir the reserved roasted garlic paste into a small bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil to make a loose paste; dollop or spoon this roasted garlic over the center of the yogurt sauce for a sweet, caramelized garlic note.

Arrange garlic butter crostini around the yogurt sauce. Drizzle an additional tablespoon of olive oil over the sauce and crostini, and finish with a light sprinkle of cracked black pepper and optional microgreens or extra dill.

Serve immediately so crostini are crisp. Use crostini to scoop the yogurt and roasted garlic paste. Leftover sauce keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; roasted garlic paste keeps for about 1 week.