Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Season: Summer/Fall
Produce: Potatoes
Preparation: 70 min, easy

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed
Sea salt
2 or 3 cloves roasted garlic
Fresh ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 cup pure Thai coconut milk, warmed (don’t use Coco Lopez)

Directions: First, roast whole garlic in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Separate the bulbs of one head of garlic and rub off the outer papery skins. Put them in a small oiled baking dish or on a sheet of foil large enough to fold over itself and the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover tightly or fold the foil over and crimp the edges. Bake for about one hour or more, until the garlic is completely soft inside. (This soft, whole roasted garlic can be served as an appetizer with crackers or baguette slices - it is very mild in flavor and good!) Put the scrubbed but unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water and boil until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on size.

Remove the potatoes from the water. You can save the water for another use - it makes a good base for soup stock. Break the potatoes into chunks and mash them with a potato masher. Mash in the soft garlic and butter or olive oil. Gradually beat in the warm coconut milk until the potatoes are smooth and light and moist. Season to taste with more salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: This recipe is very fun to make with blue potatoes - especially if you have kids!