Instructions: It begins with the long, warm days of midsummer when a miracle occurs: Fresh garlic finally arrives at the farmers market. These arent the dry, papery-light heads you paw through at the supermarket in search of a decent one. These are heavenly scented bulbs, heavy with moisture and loaded with flavor.

They havent aged yet, the grower cautions. But you barely hear her as you stuff these grand specimens into your shopping bag, making mental adjustments with the weeks menu. Tonight youll be smashing through the still-damp sheaths surrounding the precious cloves, mincing and sauteing.

Then its on to roasting, because when garlics this exquisitely fresh and flavorful, it can stand up to time and temperature in the oven and come out singing. Besides, roasted garlic is one of the best ways to capture its essence

In a plethora of condiments and sauces that will carry your new treasure well into fall and winter.

Like many cooks who have fallen head over heals in love with the process, Ive worked out some new approaches on the roasted garlic theme. All of these variations, however, fall into three categories: roasting whole heads, roasting halved heads and roasting individual cloves.

Im not sure which treatment I prefer; each produces considerably different results. When the heads roasted intact, the cloves have the mildest and most tender disposition. Roasting individual cloves, on the other hand, produces more intense results. But from a simplicity standpoint, this has one advantage: The cloves are easier to peel after roasting since the crisp peelings easily flake away from the clove.

With any approach, you can do the roasting days, weeks, or even months ahead, so the garlic will be on hand for all the wonderful dishes in which they can be used. The key is to do the roasting now, while the object of your devotion is in its prime.

Oven-roasted garlic -

whole head

Remove the outer skin covering each head: Make a superficial cut around the circumference, about 1/2 inch from the base. The outer skin will peel off easily, exposing the cloves, but leaving them intact. Slice about 1 inch off the top so a bit of the innards is open.

Set the garlic heads root end down in a baking dish. Top each head with a dab of butter, if desired (it adds just a bit more flavor, but isnt necessary if youre trying to avoid butter), then sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

For golden brown roasted heads, bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes (time varies based on age and size of the garlic); for less browned garlic, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake as directed.

To determine doneness in either case, press the cloves; they should be soft but not mushy. Dont overcook or theyll taste bitter.

Oven-roasted garlic -

whole head (short version)

As delightful and delicious as roasted garlic cloves are, theyre a bit messy. Trying to wrangle the tender morsels of garlic out of the sturdy skins can lead to disaster. Heres my solution, which makes them rich in flavor and texture:
Cut heads in half horizontally (through the plumpest portion of the cloves), keeping each half intact. Dont worry if you have to snuggle some of the cloves back into their skins - thats to be expected.

Place the heads, cut side down, in little pools of olive oil in a baking pan.

Leave about 1/2 inch of breathing room around each half. Bake the garlic, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 40 minutes (depending on size and age of the head), until the cloves are a rich golden brown around the bottom edges where the cut surface is in contact with the dish (garlic juices will be oozing around the edges of each clove).

The only trick is to achieve the perfectly browned exterior without scorching.

The garlic may be served hot, warm or chilled. The cloves may be roasted up to several days ahead and refrigerated; warm gently in oven or microwave before serving or using in recipes. As a simple appetizer, serve with crusty chunks of VERY fresh French bread.

Oven-roasted garlic -

individual cloves

These become quite intensely flavored and darkly golden. I love to sprinkle them into tossed salads, particularly a well-made Caesar.

To separate whole cloves from the head, place the root side down on a firm cutting surface. Place a flat, heavy object (such as a cast-iron skillet) firmly on top of the head and press down vigorously. The head will try to scoot out from beneath your press, so some counter-jiggling and pressing will be necessary. The cloves miraculously disengage from the root and center stem into a papery pile.

Place the cloves in a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil per head of garlic, stir to coat each clove in oil, then bake, uncovered, in a 400-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cloves are richly browned and soft. Remove from oven and cool.

At this point, the skins are crisp and can be easily peeled. You can prepare and refrigerate the cloves several days ahead.

reached by e-mail at: janrd@proaxis.com.

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