Julia Roberts's Baked Potato Soup

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes carefully with a brush to remove all dirt and pierce the skins in several places. Do not wrap them with foil, the skin should get crisp. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until soft.

In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion, and saute for a few minutes, until soft and translucent. Peel 3 potatoes but leave the other 3 unpeeled. Cut them all in half. Saute for about 3 minutes in hot oil. Add the stock, plus water if necessary so that the liquid covers the vegetables by 2 inches. Bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered for 35 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender. Don't use a food processor, it will make the texture gummy. Add salt and pepper to taste, being careful not to over season. Stir the finely chopped chives into the blended soup. Place the soup in bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Scatter the crumbled bacon on top and finish with a sprinkling of chopped chives.