Friday, October 7, 2011

Summer Shepherd's Pie, and a Candle 79 Cookbook Giveaway!


You'll have to look at this photo of an adorable puppy-on-the-street instead of at my shepherd's pie. I can't for the life of me photograph it properly correctly. I tried just now to crop a photo and it looked terrifyingly pre-chewed no matter what I did. However, this is a beautiful, delicious semi-recipe, and I hope you will think about making it.

Summer Shepherd's Pie

fava beans, fresh, as many as you would like, maybe a few pounds still in the pod
1 sweet onion
rosemary, say 1 T fresh or 1 t dried
olive oil to taste
1 medium head of cauliflower
Earth Balance to taste, optional
unsweetened non-dairy milk to taste, optional
Tofutti cream cheese to taste, optional
Tofutti sour cream to taste, optional
truffle salt, optional but amazing
white pepper to taste

Prepare your fava beans. Shell them, then blanch them for 30 seconds and remove the skin. Place in a saucepan, fill to top bean level with water, and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the rosemary as well. Turn on burner to medium, bring to simmer, and simmer ten minutes. Cool, and drain slightly if you have a lot of liquid.

Dice the onion, saute until tender, and add to the favas.

Break the cauliflower into florets and steam until tender. Puree with optional Earth Balance, non-dairy milk (please don't use sweetened, ew!), cream cheese, and sour cream--you are making mashed potatoes with the cauliflower. Add the white pepper and salt or optional truffle salt.

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread the fava mixture in the bottom of a pie plate. Cover with the cauliflower puree. Bake for half an hour, or until top is golden. Eat even if it falls apart.

* * *

I hope that is a recipe befitting what's coming next, because today's giveaway is special. It's so special you can't even buy it yet. I have for you today a giveaway from the generous proprietors of Candle 79 for the Candle 79 Cookbook. The winner will receive a copy of this book from Candle 79 upon its release November 1!


I don't really think I have to tell you about how amazing this cookbook will be. (Mine is already pre-ordered.) Says Mario Batali: The Candle Cafe defined sustainability and the green movement long before it was hip or even politically correct. More importantly, the Candle team has a track record of making delicious and beautiful food with explosive flavor and the heart and soul of a zen master. The Candle 79 Cookbook has everything anyone I know could want to eat, and each of these easy-to-make recipes drives (nay, cycles) me to the greenmarket again and again for the pure fun and deliciousness of it all. There is a recipe for paella on Amazon.com; go have a look.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below. Tell me what you've eaten at Candle 79, or whether you like candles, or anything at all. This giveaway is open to US residents only, but others this month will be open to everybody everywhere. The winner will be chosen by random number generator and posted tomorrow below tomorrow's giveaway. If you win a giveaway on this blog at some point this month, please be kind and don't enter further giveaways--I'd love as many people to win something as possible!

* * *

The giveaway for the Tofu XPress continues here!

The winner of Eat Vegan on $4 a day is supercarrot! Congratulations! Please send your name and address to me at miso...@yahoo.com. (<---make sure to click on the . . . link for the rest of the email address. This is a spam avoidance thing.)

33 comments:

  1. I've never eaten at candle 79, but I'd love to. I mean, NYC is ONLY a 10 hour drive from here...what's my excuse?!

    - paprikapapaya

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have NOT eaten at candle 79 even though I was there in February it was just not possible but I have heard great things! What a great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It has been on my to-do list for a very long time but no doubt it would be worth a road trip? Was in NYC for but a few hours over the summer and we only had time for one little snack so we went to Lula's Sweet Apothecary for some soy-free vegan ice cream...delish!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't eaten at candle 79, but the food does look amazing. Your daily giveaways this month have been so awesome! I hope to strike lucky at least once.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I had no idea they were writing a cookbook (I know about the Candle Cafe one)!

    I LOOOOOVE their seitan piccata.

    ReplyDelete
  6. No way! They're releasing a cookbook! Holy jeez, I'm so excited... my husband and I ate there like 5 years ago, and it was one of the best meals we ever had. There was some kind of roasted artichoke appetizer that just blew our minds.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've not eaten at Candle 79....maybe someday.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've never been to candle 79, but I do have one of their cookbooks and my fav are these pizza quesadillas that were out of this world!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've never been Candle79 but would so love to eat there one day. This cookbook might be the next best thing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've never been to Candle 79 either! But now that I have a real job, I have to plan a trip!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I live all the way on the other side of the country, and I've never been to New York, so no Candle 79 for me. But I would totally love the cookbook! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like the first book and am eagerly looking forward to the new one! Thank you for the contest!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have never eaten at Candle 79, but I've heard it's an amazing restaurant!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Their Valentine's Day tasting menu this year was off the HOOK! Their Seitan Picatta is every bit as good as you'd imagine it to be. And they make sodas in-house and gladly use stevia instead of sugar for my diabetic hubby. What's not to like about this place?

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a gorgeous cookbook! Florida's a long way from Candle 79, but I hope to be able to check it out someday nonetheless!

    ReplyDelete
  16. whoa cool! a new book I simply must have! I've never eaten at candle 79, but of course I've heard so much about it. Even if I don't win, I'll definitely get this book. I can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
  17. NY is so far from oklahoma that I doubt I'd be able to try their food unless I made it myself. Thanks for the chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I like candles but I've never eaten at Candle 79. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Candle 79 is on my to do list. Someday :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have never eaten there, as I live in California. But I would love to. It's on my bucket list.

    ReplyDelete
  21. i've never eaten at candle 79, but i had an awesome meal at candle cafe. it was tofu, mashed potatoes and greens, doused in gravy. oh and the hummus appetizer plate with the lemon date chutney. i wish they sold jars of that chutney!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've been to Candle Cafe, but never Candle 79. I do love the first cookbook, although I don't use it nearly enough, like all my other cookbooks!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Last week I was looking for a good vegan Shepard's Pie, but I didn't find one. I don't think I've ever actually had it, but somehow got it into my head. So, good timing on this recipe! :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. That is one gorgeous puppy! And I am bookmarking your recipe, I love the idea of using cauliflower as the topping.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I haven't been to Candle 79 but I'd love to cook from the book and pretend to be there! ;-)

    Puppy is so cute! You can never go wrong with a picture of a cute animal. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I haven't been to the Candle restaurants, but I do own the candle cafe cookbook. I love the chopped salad! I need to dust that baby off after MoFo and the PPK cookbook challenge. I'd love to be the proud owner of the companion book.

    I want that puppy too!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've never been to Candle 79, but I've always heard wonderful things about it. Thanks for offering such a great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I've never been to Candle 79, but it is definitely on a future dream vacation to NYC. (The times in the past when I've gone to New York, I wasn't vegan yet. Foolish me...) Thanks for the giveaway! It would be a real treat to win!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love fava beans...this recipe is as good as made!
    There might even be a candle or two still burning on the table as we eat the last little bit of it. ;)
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have eaten there, a few years ago for a very special birthday and it was an truly amazing meal with the famous seitan piccata. However, I live in the UK so cannot enter but thanks for the post, I didn't know the book was coming out and I'll be ordering a copy!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mmm. Shepherd's pie is one of my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would love to try Candle Cafe if I lived closer but since I don't, I am eyeing up their mac n' cheese in the freezer section.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Every time I eat at Candle 79, it's delicious. It's hard to choose a favorite dish!

    ReplyDelete