As summer swings into full gear one thing I love to look back on are summers of my youth where sunny days meant waking up early to have a water fight, bike around the neighborhood with some friends, all to be followed by a late afternoon ball game. Little league baseball, to me, was the greatest! I have tons of fond memories of a time in which I believed one day I would be good enough to play with the pros and everyday would be like those of my childhood summers.

While that may not have exactly happened I still love to visit the ball parks to catch a game and will sometimes catch myself imagining (like I did when I was younger) what it would be like to be out on that field. Maybe this is why one of America’s greatest pastimes is baseball; but on my last couple of trips to the park I began to think maybe there is another great reason to visit the games. Ball park food! There has been a revolution in the vending world of many of America’s greatest ball parks as they try to provide larger and tastier treats to keep patrons coming back for more!

A couple of days ago I caught this article about some of the greatest ball park food and wanted to share how quick and easy many of these recipes would be to make and take to your next little league game. What better way to make your little leaguer to feel even more like he or she is playing in the big leagues then some great ball park treats after the game?! Throughout the week I plan on sharing 3 of America’s greatest ball park food creations so make sure to check back with me!

While many may argue that the greatest ball park food would be the hot dog or hamburger I would beg to differ. Hot dogs and hamburgers are rarely different from that you make at your own home. The French fries however, can be a whole different story! This is why I wanted to focus on the side that sometimes gets overlooked.

These homemade garlic fries are so full of flavor I doubt you will ever make another plain old French fry ever again. These are so simple to make that you will begin to wonder why it is you ever put up with “original” flavor to begin with.

To begin our garlic French fries we need to mince the star of our show – GARLIC! Take three garlic cloves and finely mince them. You want a really fine mince because they will top your fries once they have been cooked!

Once you have your minced garlic combine it with 2 tablespoons canola oil in a pan. Allow this to steep for 2 minutes at medium heat.

Now that your oil has been infused with the deliciousness that is garlic use a fine mesh strainer to separate the oil and the minced garlic. Set the minced garlic aside as you will need this later on.

Now it’s time to cut the fries. Cut 3 large potatoes into ¼ inch French fries. The trick here is to make sure you have a sharp knife!

When your French fries have been cut combine them with the garlic infused canola oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Place the coated French fries on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 35 minutes or golden brown. Pull them out of the oven and toss them again in your big bowl with the minced garlic and some parsley. You’re now ready for your next big game!

Garlic Fries
Recipe from Food Networks Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 large baking potatoes, 12 ounces each
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Heat the garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.
Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks. In a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.

Remove potatoes from the tray with a metal spatula. Toss with parsley, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.