Unemployed Shepherd's Pie

Shepard's pie always tastes comforting and hearty to me. Plus I love that's it's cheap and easy to make. And this vegetarian recipe is also healthy!


Unemployed Shepherd's Pie
Vegetarian Times 2008 Reader Recipe 2nd Place Winner


8 Servings

6 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
¼ cup low-fat milk
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 15-oz. cans diced organic tomatoes with liquid
2 large eggplants, peeled and chopped (1½ lb.)
1 Tbs. Simply Organic Parsley
1 tsp. Simply Organic Basil
1 tsp. Simply Organic Garlic Flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 green bell pepper, sliced very thin
1 small zucchini, sliced very thin
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper, optional

1. Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and mash with milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in tomatoes, eggplants, parsley, basil, garlic flakes, and sea salt; season with pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Spread potato mixture over top, banking up sides a bit.
3. Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add green bell pepper and zucchini, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until just tender.
4. Fill center of mashed potatoes with sautéed bell pepper and zucchini, and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. (Baking will take less time if mashed potatoes are hot at time of assembly.)

PER SERVING: Calories 342, Protein 9g, Total fat 16.5g, Carbs 41g, Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 409mg, Fiber 6g, Sugars 9g

Growing potatoes in straw

Have you heard of growing potatoes in straw?

Supposedly, it's a method used in Northern Europe -- you grow potatoes above ground in straw or other mulching material mixed with a bit of rich soil or manure.

This what I've been told:

Place the seed potatoes—always make sure that you use certified seed potatoes—directly on the ground and cover them with a 50/50 blend of straw with old manure 12'' deep, then soak with water. The tubers will form in this mixture and flourish. As the potatoes grow, keep adding, a little at a time, the straw with old manure mix mounded up around the base of the plants. Keep the mix watered regularly. Mounding up is important, since if the tubers are exposed to sunlight, they will turn green, making them toxic.

When potatoes are planted in straw, there are very few weeds. The few that appear are easily removable. The straw holds the moisture, so less water is needed. The beauty of growing potatoes under a straw mat is that the guesswork is taken out of the growing, and harvesting becomes considerably easier.

The corner of the straw can be lifted carefully and one can see how the potatoes are developing. New potatoes can be harvested easily even before the potato vines mature completely. When the potatoes are ready to harvest, one can simply pull back the straw and remove by hand as many potatoes as needed, then replace the straw properly in order to keep the light off any remaining potatoes. You may harvest this way a number of times. The plant will produce more and more potatoes until the vine dies.

I haven't grown potatoes yet but hope to next season. This method sounds easier and cleaner than traditional growing methods (planting them in the ground and digging them out). And while I've got a bit of land here in Maryland (just a quarter-acre), it also sounds like a good way for folks who lack space (like people who live in cities) to grow potatoes.