Inspiration for this recipe came about from a random string of thoughts that began with the fact that the full moon this month is known as the wolf moon. According to folklore, it it is called the wolf moon because it is said that wolves are more often heard howling at this time of year. Which then made me think of the saying by George Carlin, “There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.” Which of course, led me to the dark side and got me thinking about werewolves and then of course…vampires. After all they’re both creatures of the night whose very existence is controlled by the rise and fall of the moon. So after my convoluted string of thoughts, I offer up the next phase of vampire/werewolf inspired recipes, Blue Moon Mash. A dramatic plate of garlicky mashed potatoes made with purple potatoes that give this dish a gorgeously supernatural look.
A little lunar inspiration…Enjoy!
Advice from the Moon
Live life to its fullest
Be someone to look up to
Don’t be phased by difficulties
Take time to reflect
Enjoy a little space
Honor the cycles of nature
Light up the night
~Ilan Shamir
Blue Moon Mash
Ingredients
- 3 pounds purple potatoes whole, unpeeled
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3+ cup milk
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- chives, garnish
Instructions
- In order to retain the the deepest color from the potatoes, boil them whole with skins on. Select potatoes that are similar in size to ensure even cooking. Add whole, unpeeled potatoes into a large pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes with an inch of water above them. Add garlic cloves to the pot.
- Bring pot to boil and cook potatoes until you are able to stick a knife through them easily, approximately 30-35 minutes. However the time will vary depending on how big or small your potatoes are, so after 25 minutes begin piercing your potatoes to check for doneness.
- Turn off heat, drain potatoes, reserve garlic and transfer it to a large bowl. The potatoes will be very hot so use pot holders to hold them while you gently scrape the potato skins off with a butter knife. Add the peeled potatoes into the bowl containing the garlic and roughly mash together.
- Add butter, sour cream, buttermilk and milk to the mashed potatoes and garlic and beat until smooth. Add more milk until you get your desired consistency. Salt and pepper generously to taste.
- To mold the potatoes into a moon shape, generously butter the inside of another medium sized bowl, add potatoes and smooth out.
- Place a serving plate over the bowl and flip over together to transfer the potatoes to the serving plate. Add additional butter and top with chives.
