For the love of garlic...

I adore garlic; it would be my all-time favourite ingredient. Garlic is one of the must have items whenever I think about the ingredients I would take to a deserted island, along with parmesan, basil, flour and eggs…worst case scenario you could live of a pesto type pasta. 

Some would say it goes back to my Italian heritage but having come from English and Irish convict stock, the closet I come is that they may have stolen some pasta to earn their passage down under. Like all good stereotypes every Italian I know doesn't actually like garlic that much.

Now that winter is upon us it is time for warming soups. Potato and garlic is beyond simple and on a cold night is just like a big bowl of cuddles.

Potato and garlic soup

·         8 Desiree potatoes quartered skin on (or any potato you can get, I just like the purple)

·         3 brown onions chopped

·         1 head of garlic peeled

·         200g bacon bones or diced bacon

·         3 sprigs of thyme

·         200ml light cream

Method

• Add a splash of olive oil to a pot.

• Sauté onions till just soft.

• Add remaining ingredients (except cream) and cover with water or chicken stock.

• Simmer until potatoes are soft approx. 30 mins.

• If using bacon bones remove from soup and strip off any meat and put the meat back in the soup

• Remove thyme

• Add cream and blend till smooth.

Garnish with a swirl of cream and eat with toasted ciabatta