Nine Double Nine-Patches

Leftover baked potato is wonderful in potato salad, with chopped boiled eggs, chopped onion and celery, homemade mayonnaise and mustard. If you have leftover baked potatoes, fresh greens, boiled eggs, tomatoes, green beans and black olives, you can make a lovely salade niçoise. But salads are so much better in the summertime. When the weather’s cold and damp, I prefer hearty hot soups. Sauté a large chopped onion in a tablespoon of butter until clear. Add a quart of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the coarsely chopped flesh of six baked potatoes, a cup of milk, and half a cup of sour cream. Heat thoroughly, but don’t boil. Serve hot with more sour cream, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, hot sauce (we like Cholula) and chopped chives or green onions.