Roasted Garlic Veggie Spread

Have you ever had a TV show that you refused to watch
because it sounded like the stupidest thing you've ever heard?

Seriously! It even looks lame,
I can't believe I am hooked on this.

I had one of those.
It was The Vampire Diaries. (Sounds lame doesn't it?)
Then one day someone tied me down and forced me to watch it. (Yes, that's my story. I was LITERALLY tied down.) Now I am hooked. After that it didn't take much for her to coerce me into a marathon night. My sickening desire to be productive turned it into a blogger night...a GARLIC themed blogger night. You see, according to this vampire tale, vampires have absolutely no problem with garlic and THAT is a cause for celebration.

Before I became obsessed with this show I'd been craving a veggie spread. I wanted something easy to prepare that could be served hot or cold at barbeques this summer. Often I find that there are plenty of carbs and proteins at parties, but rarely veggies other than a last minute veggie tray that no one really touches. Has anyone had their entire veggie tray finished at a party, ever?! It should happen, but we all revert to teenagers when faced with a buffet and go directly towards the "good stuff". Not this summer. This summer I am fighting back with delicious veggies and I'm starting with this Roasted Garlic Veggie Spread.

This could be perfect for tea parties (yes we still have those) or even a nice picnic. It's delicious served on toasted whole grain bread with cream cheese. We even made grilled cheese and veggie sandwiches with the leftovers which I HIGHLY recommend.
Also, and I say this with the seriousness of a thousand ninjas, you NEED to try my blogger buddies bean dip recipe. If you've been following my blog, you know that I hate beans, and this magical thing she created is quickly converting me. More on that later... for now here is my contribution to society.

Roasted Garlic and Veggie Spread
1 garlic bulb
1/4 green bell pepper
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 yellow onion
2 tomatoes
2 cups chopped broccoli
Salt and pepper to taste
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Take your garlic bulb and peel the loose skins away. Chop between 1/4-1/2" off the top. You want to expose the tops of all the cloves and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Normally I would tell you that you want the garlic to cook for about 30 minutes or until golden and soft. Instead I wanna show you what it should look like when it is done....ready for this?

I think I need to frame that picture for my kitchen.
Allow the garlic to cool while you roast the other veggies. Before going into the oven these should all be chopped into somewhat equal sizes. Spray them lightly with your handy dandy olive oil spritzer, season with salt and pepper and mix to insure all the vegetables are coated nicely before placing them in the oven. They'll need about 30-40 minutes.
After they are done, add the veggies to your food processor along with the garlic. (The awesome part about roasted garlic is how easily it slides out of the skins.) Pulse until you achieve your desired texture and serve. 

Also, don't be afraid to try other vegetable combinations. This is what I happened to have on hand.
If this was featured on a buffet table, I know I'd grab it. How about you? What are you bringing to make your next feast a little healthier?