Annie's Three-Potato Soup

Once, when I still lived in Portland, Gabe was here in Texas visiting his family. My friend Annie found out I was home alone and she invited me over for dinner and out to a play. I don’t remember what play it was but we went to that theater at the top of Forest Ave. right at the corner of Congress Street. And I remember, quite well, what she made for dinner. I’ve tried many times to do it justice in replication/ imitation and have never quite nailed it, but it is still pretty good.

Recently Gabe suckered me into making it for him when I came home from work by responding to my hesitation in not just microwaving something for dinner with this line: “But it’s my favorite sick food. I never even had a sick food until I met you.” Here, he blinked innocently and stuck out his bottom lip a little. I made the soup.

Annie’s Three-Potato Soup

two white russet potatoes
one sweet potato
three cloves garlic
rosemary, preferably fresh
olive oil
salt and pepper

Scrub and peel your potatoes. Chop and boil them until they are soft enough to mash. Drain potatoes.

While the potatoes are boiling, warm olive oil in a small frying pan or skillet. Peel and chop garlic cloves and simmer garlic in the oil on low heat. There should be just enough oil to barely cover the chopped garlic pieces. Sprinkle rosemary, to taste, on oil and garlic.

Using the same pot you used to boil potatoes, put drained potatoes in and mash until, well, it is whatever consistency you like. If you like your soup to be soupy, mash a lot. If you like it a little lumpy, stop mashing sooner. Add two cups of water, a little more rosemary to taste and warm up to desired temperature.

Add the oil, garlic and rosemary mixture and stir well. Serve warm. Salt and pepper to taste.

We like eating it with steamed veggies (asparagus or green beans work well with this soup) and bread that I heat and broil Swiss cheese on.