With too much garlic in my pantry, and after planting some and roasting some to freeze, I still needed a good hit of garlic, so punctuate the season. I roasted a few heads to start. I separated them, put in a glass pie pan, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Baked in a 350 degree oven for about an hour covered with foil, them came out roasty and toasty and yummy. They caramelized just enough to add sweetness, but not enough to burn. After I let them cool for a few minutes, I cut off the root end and squeezed out the pulp. After measuring out 1/4 cup for the cheesecake I divided the rest among the cups of an ice cube tray. I covered it tightly with plastic wrap so it wouldn’t stink up the freezer. I’m not thinking garlic scented blueberries would make my husband happy. When they are frozen solid, I’ll pop them out and put in a freezer bag to pull out to flavor a pizza, or bread, or sauce of any kind. Garlic Is Good….
This little cheesecake would be a perfect treat to take to a fall party, or just have around for a quick snack when you get home from work or school. With everyone eating garlic…no problem…right?

Roasted Garlic Cheesecake

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 3 hours—1 hour for roasting garlic,1 hour for making and baking cheesecake and 1 hour chilling:

Crust

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the bread crumbs and walnuts and toast until golden. Place 1/2 of the mixture into a 6-inch baking dish. Reserve the rest of the top.

Filling

1 egg
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup roasted garlic pulp

Salt and pepper to taste

Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in the ricotta cheese, garlic and salt and pepper. Spread into the baking dish and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Turn out onto a serving plate. Cut in wedges and serve with crackers or raw vegetables, like carrot sticks, pepper strips, or broccoli florets.Serves 6-8