Last night, I wanted, needed, a comfort dinner. I'd had potato soup in mind all day and before I left to pick the boys up at school and head to baseball practice, I roasted a whole pod of garlic just in case. Earlier this year, in testing a recipe for Food 52, I learned just how marvelous lots of roasted garlic pureed into soup is. It lends a subtle heft to the soup's flavor, a unique weightiness of flavor I find divine and satisfying. I use this technique in my Leeky Sunchoke Bisque and now also in the Cheesy, Garlicky Potato Soup that resulted from last night's experiment.

I wanted this soup to have a slight kick, the kind that makes you wonder, "hmm...what is that quiet fire in there?" So, I roasted -on a hot grill- a fresh Hatch chile (a real one! from New Mexico!! one purveyor at the Dupont farmers market brings them in when he visits his daughter out there) as well as a fresh ancho, skinned and seeded them, and later added to my bubbling soup the whole Hatch and about half the ancho as it was more a'blaze with spice than I expected it to be.

This soup took some tweaking: more cheddar than I anticipated as Gruyere alone was just too tame; more crème fraîche; an apple which complemented both the cheddar and the crème fraîche.

Ultimately, it was perfect, a definite keeper and make againer. Bacon lovers should feel free to crumble freshly fried bacon over the top. Smoked salmon would be delicious too. Scallions would make a gorgeous garnish and add a fresh zing to each bite. I could also imagine stirring finely chopped kale into the hot soup minutes before serving.

Beer or hard cider would be wonderful companions though my dry, deft rosé worked beautifully too.