Garlic Bread

Twice this week I have made garlic bread – the first, a downscale version; the second, a more gourmet version. Both knocked our socks off. The key ingredient was the super fresh garlic from Fertile Crescent Farm that I picked up at the South of the James Farmers Market last Saturday. The garlic was so much easier to peel and exuded that oh-so-delicious garlickyness. Here are my garlic bread variations…

Garlic Bread – Variation One

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mince two cloves of garlic and then mash them to a paste-like consistency. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt to 2 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter. Mix well. Spread garlic mixture over 6 slices of Italian-style bread (for this version, I picked up my already sliced bread from Food Lion). Sprinkle dried oregano over the bread slices. Sprinkle grated Romano cheese over the bread slices. Place the bread in a baking pan with a rack (I like to get air between the bottom of the bread and the baking pan). Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Yummy, yummy.

Garlic Bread – Variation Two

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mince two cloves of garlic and then mash them to a paste-like consistency. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and mix to combine. Brush the garlic mixture over 6 slices of Italian-style bread (for this version, I picked up the bread from The Fresh Market and asked the bakery to slice it for me). Place a thin slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each bread slice. Sprinkle the mozzarella with dried oregano. Place the bread in a baking pan with a rack (I like to get air between the bottom of the bread and the baking pan). Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Delightful.

Whether downhome or upscale, it’s all good!