Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes

WINTER BUDGET TIP:  When 20 lb. bags of potatoes are on sale, store them in your own "cold cellar"--a cardboard box in your garage. Put a thick layer of newspaper on the bottom of the box and layer the potatoes in newspaper sections. Toss an old blanket or towels on top. The insulated potatoes shouldn't freeze, or sprout in the dark.  I tossed a big mesh bag of red onions in with them as well, and the onions are still firm and fresh weeks later.

Try storing other root vegetables this way, like beets, turnips and carrots. Make sure the vegetables are all thoroughly dry before you box them.

Halve the recipe to serve 4

Mashed Potatoes/Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6-8. 

• 6-8 medium or 4 large potatoes peeled and cut into quarters*
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced (optional)

*After peeling, very large potatoes should be sliced in half lengthwise, then sideways to make 4 good-sized chunks. Otherwise, cut potatoes in half. Slicing them to quick-boil or cutting them into small chunks saves time but the potatoes can absorb too much water and lose flavour and texture. Even when preparing plain boiled potatoes (not mashing them) it's best to boil in halves for best flavour.

 It's better to make too many potatoes than too few as you can always add more milk, and butter if desired. Make 1 large potato per person.

To serve leftover boiled potatoes, slice and fry in oil in a frying pan, sprinkle with salt and freshly grated pepper. To serve leftover mashed potatoes, place in a casserole dish, top with grated parmesan cheese, and reheat in the oven.  Or place leftover mashed potatoes on a microwavable dinner plate, smash down flat with a fork, and microwave till heated through. Mashed potatoes are dense and will microwave unevenly if "piled" on a plate.

Boiled Potatoes:

1. Add  salt to a medium-large pot of cold water.  After potatoes are added, add more water if necessary to cover the potatoes.
2. New, small potatoes may be scrubbed and boiled whole in salted water with peels on.
3. If you have old potatoes, snap off any horns. Peel and wash. Cut in half and boil in salted water. (Boiling in smaller chunks or slices will cause potatoes to lose potassium to the water.)
4. Cover pot of potatoes with a lid until water boils, then remove lid or partially re-cover, and continue boiling.
5. Potatoes are done when fork-tender (about 30 minutes or less.)
6. Drain cooked potatoes, return potatoes to empty pot over low heat, shake the pot to evaporate any excess water, add butter if desired. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm in pot before serving.

To add a light garlic flavour to boiled potatoes: add a peeled clove of garlic to the cooking water. Remove from the water before draining the potatoes.

To make garlic mashed potatoes, after draining the potatoes, return the boiled garlic clove to the pot, add butter and hot milk, mash the clove in with the potatoes.

To Make Plain Mashed Potatoes:

If you are not serving the potatoes immediately, or are mashing more than 4 large potatoes, use melted butter and warm milk to keep the potatoes hot as long as possible.

Drain potatoes.

Return potatoes in pot to heat and shake the potatoes back and forth in the pan until all the steaming stops.

Add 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup milk to hot boiled potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Don't whip with an immersion blender or the texture will be like glue.
Add more milk (and butter if desired) to desired consistency.
Transfer potatoes from pot to a bowl and serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
Prepare potatoes and boil as above.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small pan.
Add the peeled, sliced garlic and sautee these in the butter for about 5 minutes, till golden.
Remove a few large garlic cloves and set aside.
Mash potatoes without milk.
Stir in butter/garlic mixture. Add milk and mash to desired consistency.
Transfer mashed potatoes to a bowl and garnish with the cloves set aside.
Season with freshly ground pepper.

Irish Potato Bread

Great-aunt Isabel married an Irishman, Big Johnny Sullivan. He was actually small in build and short, but for awhile he was bigger than his first son with Isabel, Little Johnny Sullivan. They were differentiated in the family by calling them "Big John and Little Johnny," until Little Johnny grew up to be "Johnny Datsun" to my friends, because he once drove me to school in his sporty Datsun convertible.

So we have an Irish branch on the family tree, to which I'm not related by blood, but...

Peel too many potatoes one night for dinner, make mashed potatoes, and the next day make Irish potato bread with the left-overs.

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/4 cups mashed potatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper as you had them for dinner)
• 1 beaten large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• grease (vegetable oil, butter or bacon fat) for the fry pan

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Stir into mashed potatoes.
3. Beat in egg and buttermilk.
4. Shape dough into a ball. Knead.
5. Add a little more flour if necessary.
6. Divide dough in half (or in thirds if you don't have a large fry pan.)
7. On a floured board, roll out each dough ball into a circle about a centimetre thick.
8. Heat oil or bacon fat in a pan.
9. Fry dough 2-3 minutes, then flip and fry the other side.
10. Cut into wedges to serve.