Slow Cooker Mushroom And Roasted Garlic Crostini

In slow cooker stoneware, combine garlic, mushrooms, shallots, olive oil and wine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours, until mushrooms are soft. Drain off liquid.

Place mushroom mixture in a food processor with parsley and pulse until ingredients are very finely chopped but not pureed. Add whipping cream, if using, plus vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and pulse two or three times to combine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread mushroom mixture over crostini. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Place on baking sheet and bake until cheese begins to brown and melt.

Serve hot.

NOTE: An easy way to roast this quantity of garlic is to peel the cloves, remove the pith (the center part that often sprouts), then place the cloves on a piece of foil.

Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over the garlic, then fold up the foil to make a tight packet. Bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.