Brush or spray garlic with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast in oven or toaster oven til lightly browned and garlic is soft. Cut off the top and squeeze the garlic out; reserve. Wash, peel and cut potatoes. Place in a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Remove potatoes using a slotted spoon.

Bring the water that the potatoes were cooked in to a boil and continue to cook until volume is reduced and about 1-2 cups of the potato water remains. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons butter.

Return potatoes to water, keeping one cup of potatoes aside to mash, then return to pan. Add broth, remaining salt, garlic, pepper. Sprinkle flour over milk while whisking to avoid lumps; stir til dissolved and add to potato mixture (Wondra flour makes this easy but any flour may be used if you don't add the flour too quickly).

Combine all ingredients in pan and heat over medium heat stirring often while mixture boils; simmer til thickened. At this point, serve as is, or you may add up to 2 cups meltable cheese (provolone, cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc), if desired, but the cheese is optional.

Serve with crusty Italian bread, garlic bread or Toasted Naan sprinkled with coarse sea salt, rosemary, black pepper and olive oil.

Submitted by: Belle