Peel potatoes and chop into eighths. Peel the strings off the celery stalks and cut into fourths. Put in a pot with enough water to cover the vegetables plus the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium heat and cook until vegetables are soft, then drain the vegetables, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic in it until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the celery seed and pepper. Let the onion mixture and the drained vegetables cool for a few minutes, then put into a food processor with the salt, sherry and half-and-half. Process until there are no lumps, but the soup still has some texture. Add a bit of the reserved cooking water, if necessary, for the desired consistency. Adjust salt to taste.
The soup can be served warm or chilled--place the soup in a glass bowl that is inside a larger bowl of ice to chill. Garnish with chopped chives.
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