How to Peel Garlic / Best Mashed Potatoes Ever

From my windowsill:

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PEELING GARLIC

I use garlic often, in as many recipes as I can get away with it.  I buy it from Sam's  in a long 2-lb. bag from Sam's Club.  $2.98.  What a deal!  One of those tiny  boxes with only two heads of garlic  in the grocery store is about the same price.  I don't even look at the garlic in liquid (what is that?) in the grocery stores.

I use it in soups, pasta anything, sauces, salads, casseroles, pot pies...many things are enhanced with the flavor of fresh garlic and it is so good for you as well.   I keep it handy on a rolling cart in my kitchen with the onions.

If you are timid about using fresh garlic, here are some simple instructions on preparing it for cooking.  If you read my blog yesterday or the day before on the  Romertopf stew or the soup I made when I cleaned out  my frig, I used two HEADS (not cloves) of garlic in each.  

First, open your trash can (we have a foot pedal on ours), dampen your fingers and rub the dry garlic.  Much of the thin, flaky skin will come right off.  Pinch off the tops.

Separate the cloves, the individual sections of garlic and lay the large ones on a cutting board.  I don't mess with the small ones.  I use a glass cutting board rather than a wooden one so it can go into the dishwasher if needed.  (This is especially helpful when I cut meats on the board.)  These are the large cloves from ONE head of garlic.

Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends and peel away the rest of the light-weight skin.

At first it may take about 10 minutes or so to do this. I've done it so often that it takes me about 2 minutes to peel a head of garlic.  Here are the results.

Depending on how much you love garlic, you may only want one head at a time in your food. We enjoy having two and no, no one has ever commented on our breath!  :)

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BEST GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

My kids have always loved mashed potatoes.  From the time they were little they would ask for them and try them often at restaurants and at friends' homes.  But it wasn't until our friends John and Abby  brought these garlic mashed potatoes over one night for dinner that our sons declared these were by far, the best  mashed potatoes they had ever eaten.   The only change that I made was to substitute heavy whipping cream for créme fraiche.  That was several years ago and I have made them this way ever since.

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 medium sized potatoes, red or brown skinned
• 1 whole head of peeled fresh garlic (no need to chop)
• 1 cup, maybe more, of heavy whipping cream (less expensive by the quart at Sam's Club)
• 2 tsp. of salt, maybe more to taste
• Dash of pepper

DIRECTIONS

It's hard to use a hand mixer and take a photo at the same time, so there's not one of that process. :)

1. Boil the potatoes together with the garlic for about one hour.  I cook in a pot that can handle a hand mixer.  Less dishes to wash afterwards
2. Drain.
3. Place the pot on a potholder on the counter.  
4. Add cream, salt and pepper.
5. Mix on high until the potatoes are a  smooth and even consistency, about 3 minutes, adding more cream if needed.
6. Taste (my younger son ALWAYS does this). Add more salt if needed.
7. Enjoy and try to remain humble with the compliments.  :)