I almost died... (The Roasted Elephant Garlic Mashed Potatoes Saga)

I know, it's been a while. Nothing food-related has happened to me lately, really...except a pretty good dinner at this restaurant called Stanford's (if you order the tenderloin tips, be sure to ask for the bing cherry demi-glace instead of the original!), and I made muffins last week (if I make them again today or some other time, I'll be sure to post pictures and the recipe). The day before yesterday, though, shall go down in my cooking history as the best mashed potatoes I have ever made. Actually, I think this was the first time I've ever even made them, but still.

Okay, it's not rocket science. But after tweaking an already good recipe I found for garlic mashed potatoes, I think I really have a winner here. So, without further ado, I give you:


Roasted Elephant Garlic Mashed Potatoes!

Elephant? Elephant garlic?? What the heck? ....That's what you're saying or thinking, right? Well, yes, that's what I said. ELEPHANT GARLIC.


As in, garlic so big it comfortably sits in the hand of your palm.


It's actually more related to a leek than a garlic, which explains why it has such a milder garlic flavor than one would expect, especially with it being so large. I happened to see this little (ha!) baby at WinCo, and damn it all if I didn't buy one because it was just so big. When I brought it home, I really didn't know what to do with it. I used 1/3 (ONE THIRD!!) of one clove as a substitute for one clove of a regular-sized garlic in some sardines from a tin in tomato sauce that I cooked up last week and was disappointed, of course, in how mild the flavor was.

It wasn't until the day before yesterday that I thought of my Elephant garlic in the pantry, just crying out for attention. Kevin grilled up with some steak the other day in my new 14" Weber grill, but we didn't grill all of it in one go. Not wanting to make haste and in turn possibly make waste, I thought of making mashed potatoes to go with some of the steak I wanted to fry up for dinner the next night. The next day, we passed by the Renton City Center on my way to drop Kevin off at the transit center to catch his bus to work, and I realized that there was a Farmers' Market (every Tuesday from 3pm)! I proceeded to buy 4 large (read: ones the size of my fist) Russet red potatoes, a bunch of asparagus, and some strawberries that I have yet to figure out in what I shall use them.

Anyway, so by the end of the night, the menu was as follows: Thin steak marinated for two days in Stubb's, Elephant Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan, and Roasted Elephant Garlic mashed potatoes. Here are the recipes, but before I continue I would like to say that I. LOVE. CHEESE. Having said that, the measurements below for Parmesan cheese is probably half of what I actually put in there.



Roasted Elephant Garlic Mashed Potatoes

You need:
4 Russet potatoes the size of my fist (heh), peeled if desired, and cubed
3 cloves of Elephant garlic, chopped
olive oil, to drizzle over garlic
1/2 (or more..) cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp butter (add a tbsp or two if richer potatoes are desired)
1/2 cup milk (half and half or heavy cream may be substituted for creamier potatoes)
salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, to taste

1. Drizzle olive oil over chopped Elephant garlic, bake at 375 degrees (or broil) until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, boil potatoes in slightly salted water until tender enough to mash with a fork.
3. Using electric mixer or masher, combine all ingredients above, beat or mash until consistency desired is reached. Serves at least 4.


Elephant Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan

You need:
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, bottoms cut off, can be cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces if desired
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove Elephant garlic, minced
salt, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium to medium high heat. Toast garlic until golden brown, taking care to stir often so garlic sticks as little as possible.
2. Toss in asparagus, sprinkle salt on top, and saute until the asparagus is tender.
3. Transfer to serving bowl or plate, and top with grated Parmesan. If desired, the asparagus and cheese can be placed in the broiler for a few minutes to make the cheese crispy. Serves at least 2.


BONUS PICS!!

my sexy mixer


my sexy grill


cream puffs I made for our small get-together at Lois's to meet baby Aria! I'm reaching out for the small ducky shaped one...


see? ^_^