Basic Cream Cheese Spread (Schmear)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons heavy or sour cream or softened butter
• 2 tablespoons minced onion, shallot, or green onion
• Hide ingredients for Cloves from 1 head Roasted Garlic I 1 Cloves from 1 head Roasted Garlic I (opens in new tab) Cloves from 1 head Roasted Garlic I
  • 4 large heads garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Garlic cloves, unpeeled, excess skin removed

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To expose the cloves, cut the top third from: 4 large heads garlic
  2. Drizzle over the cut portions of the heads: 2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. Wrap each head tightly in foil, place in a baking dish, and bake until the garlic is soft and tender, about 45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
  4. QUICK PAN-ROASTED GARLIC CLOVES
  5. This method produces a firmer result with a toasty flavor. Pan-roasting is ideal for mellowing out garlic before using in salsas or uncooked table sauces like Habanero-Citrus Hot Sauce.
  6. Place in a heavy skillet over medium heat: Garlic cloves, unpeeled, excess skin removed
  7. Let the skin of the cloves blacken, and then turn them. Repeat until the cloves have charred spots on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.
• ¼ cup chopped parsley, dill, cilantro, or chives
• Hide ingredients for ¼ cup Pesto 1 ¼ cup Pesto (opens in new tab) ¼ cup Pesto
  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (2 ounces)
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Combine in a food processor and process to a rough paste: 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves; ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (2 ounces); ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted; 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  2. With the machine running, slowly add: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  3. The pesto should be a thick paste. If it seems dry, add a little more olive oil. Season to taste with: Salt
  4. Use immediately, or pour a very thin film of olive oil over the top, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
  5. For a more robust texture, use a mortar and pestle.
  6. Using the ingredients and quantities from version I, pound the pine nuts until very fine. Add the garlic and pound until ground to a paste. Add the basil and a pinch of salt. Pound until ground to a paste. Stir in the cheese and pound until incorporated. Stir in the oil and season to taste.
• ¼ cup drained capers, minced
• ⅓ cup finely chopped jarred roasted red peppers
• ⅓ cup pitted and chopped green or black olives
• 2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons minced anchovies
• ½ cup finely chopped toasted nuts
• 2 tablespoons chive blossoms or marigold petals
• (Salt, black pepper, paprika, and/or cayenne pepper)