Ingredients

• 3 large all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 10 blades chives, chopped or snipped, 3 tablespoons
• 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped, 2 tablespoons
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup good quality chicken stock, available on soup aisle
• 4 ounces, 1 small log, herb, peppercorn or plain goat cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and salt. Boil potatoes 15 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Begin other dishes for your menu with the pocket of time you have here.
3. Pour the potatoes into a colander to drain. Return pot to stove. Adjust heat to medium. Add oil, then the butter. When butter melts, add shallots and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add herbs, then potatoes back to the pot. Mash potatoes, adding stock as you work to achieve your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Remove goat cheese from packaging and cut the small log into 4 discs. Serve potatoes on dinner plates and top each mound with a disk of goat cheese.