There’s so much you can do with a couple cloves of garlic–take garlic confit and garlic bread, for two delicious examples. The cloves pack so much flavor (and health benefits) that most of the time you don’t need too many other ingredients to create a delicious meal or snack. We send out a whole head of garlic every week, and so it’s possible you might have some leftover cloves. Don’t despair–and definitely don’t waste this kitchen gold. Here’s our third easy suggestion for a way to use up all that leftover garlic.
Spanish pan con tomate is a brilliantly simple preparation that involves grilling bread and topping it with tomatoes, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Since flavorful tomatoes aren’t in season, we scaled this preparation down to pan con ajo--no tomato needed.
Here’s all you do: toast thick slices of good country bread under the broiler (or, if you happen to be outdoors, on a grill for optimally delicious charred flavor). Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the cut sides across the surface of each slice, really pressing the cloves in to transfer flavors. Drizzle good-quality olive oil across the surface, then sprinkle with salt.
Cut each slice into halves or thirds. Serve as an appetizer or beside Provençal Fish Stew or Braised Beluga Lentils.
