roasted garlic and scallion dip

my friend greta made this dip for us to eat at an outdoor concert at wolftrap this summer.

it was so garlicy and delicious, i knew if i could get my hands on this recipe i'd be making it a lot!

many thanks to greta for stumbling upon this recipe and sharing it!

start by roasting some garlic - tutorial here

while the garlic is roasting, set out some cream cheese to soften and slice 4 scallions

i just love the color gradient it makes!

when your garlic is finished roasting and cooled, place the cream cheese in a food processor.

i used a mini processor, so i cubed the cream cheese to fit it in easily

add the roasted garlic

and 1/4 cup milk

puree until smooth

transfer to a medium bowl and add scallions...

kosher salt...

and freshly ground black pepper

fold it all in, and you're done!

this dip is great on some sliced french bread, bagel chips, crackers, and even veggies!

roasted garlic and scallion dip.

recipe from real simple

ingredients

1 head of garlic

2 tsp olive oil

1 block (8 oz)  cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup milk

4 scallions, sliced thinly

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

method

preheat oven to 400. slice the top off the head of garlic and place on a sheet of foil.

drizzle with olive oil, and fold foil to form a pouch.

place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. unwrap and let cool

(roasted garlic tutorial here)

squeeze cooled garlic from their skins

place in a food processor with cream cheese and milk

puree until smooth

transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the scallions, salt, and pepper

store in refrigerator.  should keep for at least 3 days.

things that taste good thursday

chick-fil-a breakfast.

you know you want some.

how to... roast garlic

roasted garlic is delicious.  if you've never tried it, i feel really sorry for you.

like, really really sorry. just follow these instructions and your life will be enriched.

p.s. your kitchen is going to smell like garlic and you are going to drool. a lot.

preheat your oven to 400

get a head of garlic, skin and all

slice off the top

place it on a sheet of foil and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil

scrunch it together at the top to form a pouch

(p.s. like my nail polish? thanks, i do too)

place it in the oven for 40-45 minutes

when the time is up, take it out and let it cool

then you can pretty much squeeze the cloves out

they are soft and delicious. roasting brings out the sweetnes, so you can actually eat these straight.

or spread some on a piece of french bread...

it's really really good, promise

u jealous?

that was easy. go do it. ok?

like, now.

next week i'm gonna show you how to make a roasted garlic and scallion dip.

GET. EXCITED.

how to roast a head of garlic.

ingredients

1 head garlic
olive oil


method
pre-heat oven to 400
slice the top off the head of garlic
place on a sheet of foil, drizzle with oil
gather foil around the garlic to form a pouch
place in oven for 40-45 minutes
let cool before squeezing cloves out of their skins

orzo salad

mmm... orzo salad.  i always feel so fancy and european when i eat orzo.

i made this for a surprise party last weekend and it went over pretty well.

makes a large portion, so it's a great dinner party or potluck dish.

start by adding a generous amount of salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil

while you're waiting for it to boil, chop some sun-dried tomatoes in oil

you'll need 1/3 cup, packed

now dice up some kalamata olives - you'll need 1/4 cup, packed.

you may have to pit them yourself too, if you can't find pitted ones!

when the water is ready, add 2 cups of orzo

return to a boil and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally

drain well

transfer to a large bowl

add chopped sun-dried tomatoes

kalamata olives

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

toss to blend, and let stand until cool

at this point, you can cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours,

but be sure to bring it back to room temp before continuing.

rinse and drain some quartered artichoke hearts

add them to the salad, along with some freshly grated parmesan cheese...

chopped basil...

okay, i didn't use freshly chopped basil. i used a refrigerated squeeze tube thingy of basil.

doesn't it look disgusting? i must say, looks are deceiving. i hate to admit it but this was a good substitute!

end of tangent.  add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, too.

toss to combine...

and you're good to go!

orzo salad.

ingredients

2 cups (16 oz) orzo

1/3 cups (packed) chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup (packed) chopped kalamata olives

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or squeeze tube basil! :)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

method

salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil

add orzo, return to boil, and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally

drain well, transfer to a large bowl

add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, oil, and vinegar. toss to blend.

let stand until cool

--can be refrigerated at this point- up to 6 hours. bring back to room temp before continuing--

add artichokes, parmesan, basil, and garlic. toss to blend.

serve immediately for best results.

adapted from epicurious.