M is for Mashed Potatoes

Today I had a three hour dentist appointment.  My mouth hurts, my jaw is sore, my gums are sensitive, and I'm feeling cranky.  In addition to these maladies, my stomach is also growling.  This seems like a night for me to revert to my favorite food: mashed potatoes.  It's comfort food at it's finest!

Mashed potatoes have been my number one favorite food for as long as I can remember.  Well, more accurately, I've claimed them since the age of eight.  I know this because when I went home to Richmond over spring break, I found my autobiography:  My Book about Me.  It's actually a Dr. Seuss book, but it's meant to be filled out by a child.  When I completed this little gem as a third grader, I wrote that I had 435 freckles and 16 windows on my house.  My favorite color was pink at the time and mashed potatoes were my favorite food.  I'm questioning the accuracy of my 1993 freckle count, but I trust in that mashed potato comment.  Some things just don't change with time, and I have two grandmothers who have fed my potato habit for years and years.  I just can't kick it.

As an adult, I've adapted my recipe many times, but it always comes back to the same basic procedure.  Sometimes I'll toss some goat cheese or cream cheese in the mix, add finely diced onion or pureed cauliflower, or I'll leave the skins on the potatoes for a chunky version.  I love to add fresh herbs and I did that today because I just planted my new strawberry pot full of gorgeous green herbs!  Isn't it adorable?  I used chives, boxwood basil, and thyme.  In the pot, I also included cilantro and oregano and planted phlox on the very top.  I'm hoping it will grow and creep gently over the sides.

Mashed Potatoes
by Rachel

6-8 Yukon gold potatoes
2-4 Tbsp. butter
1 c. milk (or 1/2 c. cream and 1/2 c. milk)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
kosher salt
pepper to taste
handful of chopped, fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, chives, thyme, or rosemary)

Wash and peel the potatoes.  Cut them into thick discs or quarter them for cooking.  Bring a pot of salty water to a boil and gently drop in the potatoes.  Boil for at least 20 minutes.  You'll know they are done when you slide a fork in and the potato falls right off.  Drain the water and then use a masher to smash up the warm potato pieces.  Transfer the mashed mixture to your mixer and let the butter melt into the potatoes.  While the butter is melting, put the milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds so that it is lukewarm when you add it to the potatoes.  With the mixer at a low speed, slowly incorporate the milk, stopping when the potatoes are a little more creamy that you really like.  Some of the moisture will be absorbed into the mixture over time, so by doing this, you can avoid dry and lumpy potatoes.  Add garlic salt, pepper and salt and beat on high speed for about 1 minute.  Finely chop a handful of fresh herbs and toss them into the mixing bowl until just blended.  Transfer to an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and keep warm at 200 F until you're ready to serve the potatoes.

If no one is watching, lick the beaters.