My, oh my, oh my!

Wow. I just finished dinner, and I wish it were not over.

Saturday night, when I was helping to clear the table and put away the left overs, I found myself staring at the whole roasted garlic cloves that were still in the pan with the roasting vegetables. I nearly licked my lips thinking of the possibilities and asked my writing student's mother if I could have a Ziploc bag to take them home. I am not quite sure how she perceived my request, but she is used to my culinary taking ways.

Tonight, I sliced fresh French bread and then smeared the roasted garlic on the slices. On top of the garlic went Havarti cheese with dill in it. I broiled the bread to melt the cheese, but I must admit I was getting so excited about what I was going to be eating that I put one slice in the microwave and munched on it while the rest were broiling.

Roasted garlic, done right, is soft and almost sweet. It becomes a perfect compliment to many cheeses when melted on bread or the right crackers. Once, when I was in Sante Fe, I visited a restaurant where the featured dish was roasted garlic, Brie cheese, and French bread. Twenty years later, I still have strong memories of that savory meal.

The one I had tonight tasted just as I imagined it would when I first began scooping those vegetables into a container for the refrigerator. In fact, I am a bit puzzled that it took me four days to follow through on that vision.

Now, I have to ask the chef what he put on the vegetables (garlic), what temperature he set the oven, and how long he cooked them. That way, tonight's meal may be repeated frequently for future enjoyment.

After all, twenty years between the opportunity to consume roasted garlic, cheese, and bread is far too long!