Garlic now comes already peeled and sealed

It's no surprise by now that we're avid fans of jarred minced garlic. It's easy and quick, reasonably priced and refrigerates for months. Now we have a new favorite garlic to add to our list: prepeeled cloves of fresh garlic that will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a month or more.

The storage issue is huge for us, since we find any fresh garlic bulbs we buy still in the peels tend to spoil before we can use them all. The most expensive food you buy is the food you throw away.

We first saw prepeeled fresh garlic in the produce section of warehouse-club stores more than a year ago, but the jars were so huge there was no hope of using it all. Then a company called Melissa's introduced the peeled fresh cloves in a reasonably sized, zipper-top bag for about $3. The really brilliant innovation is inside the bag: The 20 cloves are individually vacuum-sealed in groups of four cloves, ensuring they stay impeccably fresh.

So far, the bags have been available only in upscale supermarkets, but you can see a photo of the product online (and even mail order it) at www.melissas.com/catalog/index.cfm?Product_id=3657&Info=NO.

We've been using this new garlic in all sorts of predictable ways. However, our most innovative discovery is that the peeled cloves can be roasted without any hassle (read: peeling) in a slow cooker or in the oven. Roast the whole bag at once, then use half the cloves in today's recipe for Rotini with Asparagus and Roasted Garlic. Next week, we'll feature a chicken recipe for the remaining cloves.

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Menu suggestion: Rotini with Asparagus and Roasted Garlic

Fresh pineapple spears

Breadsticks

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ROTINI WITH ASPARAGUS AND ROASTED GARLIC

Start to finish: 15 minutes

8 ounces rotini or other short pasta

1 pound fresh asparagus spears

1 large ripe tomato (for about 1 cup diced)

10 cloves Especially Easy Roasted Garlic (for about 1/4 cup chopped), recipe follows

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional garnish

Place the rotini in 2 1/2 quarts of boiling water in a 4 1/2-quart or larger pot and cook it at a medium boil for 6 minutes. (Set a timer.)