Roasted garlic dip with vegetable platter
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep: -
- Easy
- Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
For the dip
- 4 large heads green garlic
- about 6 tbsp olive oil
- few sprigs fresh thyme
- 250-300g/9-10oz soft cheese, such as soft goat's cheese, ricotta or Philadelphia
- a little milk if necessary
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs - mixture of parsley, tarragon and chives is nice
- squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
- 2 large green garlic cloves, thinly sliced
For the vegetables (choose both raw and cooked)
- choose from boiled new potato or globe artichokes, lightly cooked asparagus
- raw or lightly cooked baby carrot, cooked baby beetroot
- tiny raw broad bean, young radishes
- slices or pepper, wedges or raw fennel or celery
- - allow for about 450g vegetables per person
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C. Cut a slice off the top of each head of garlic and place on foil. Spoon over 4 tbsp of the oil, tuck in the thyme and wrap. Season with salt and pepper and bake for up to 1 hour – until the garlic is very soft. Cool.
- STEP 2
Beat the cheese in a bowl until smooth. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin into the cheese and mash with a fork until smoothish. Beat in sufficient oil and/or milk to get a good dipping consistency. Beat in the herbs and season to taste – add a squeeze of lemon too, if necessary.
- STEP 3
Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and fry the sliced garlic gently until golden brown (not too brown or it will taste bitter). Drain and scatter the garlic over the dip. Serve the dip in the centre of a large platter of vegetables.
