Shells & Everyone else who is interested - Here is the recipe for the Cauliflower bisque!
Cauliflower Bisque
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 large white cauliflower (2 lbs)
- 5 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 2 cups water
- 1-inch piece lemon zest (yellow part only, the white part will turn bitter)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 medium stalks celery
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 1 cup raw cashews
"Buttered" Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup coarse, soft breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy margarine (Earth Balance)
Steps
Soup
1. Trim the cauliflower, cut the florets in small pieces, and put them in a soup pot with 4 cups of the vegetable broth and the 2 cups of water
2. Add the lemon juice and the strip of zest to the pot, along with a teaspoon of sea salt
3. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer, covered, for 15 minutes
4. Meanwhile, peel, trim, and chop the carrots, celery, and onion
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and add the chopped vegetables, along with half a teaspoon of sea salt
6. Sautée the vegetables on a medium flame, stirring often, until they are soft, about 15 minutes or so
7. Add the garlic and cook an additional five minutes, or until the vegetables are beginning to color
8. Add the herbes de Provence and keep stirring over medium heat for a few minutes longer
9. Add the sautéed vegetables to the cauliflower, and stir. At this point the cauliflower should be very tender. If it’s not, continue to simmer the soup until it is
10. Once the cauliflower is cooked through, turn off the heat and let the soup cool briefly
11. While the soup is cooling, add your raw cashews and remaining cup of vegetable broth to your blender
12. Puree the mixture until it’s very smooth and creamy
13. Pour the cashew cream into a small bowl, and set aside
14. Without rinsing the blender, puree the cauliflower mixture. You may have to do this in batches.
15. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the cashew cream, to taste, until the soup is has the consistency and flavor that you like
16. Taste, and add salt or lemon juice if needed
17. Sprinkle a heaping spoonful of buttered breadcrumbs (recipe follows) over each serving of soup at the last minute, just as you are serving it
"Buttered" breadcrumbs
1. You can make big, soft breadcrumbs by cutting up day-old bread into cubes and processing them briefly in a food processor. Alternately, you can crumble any soft bread with your fingers.
2. Melt the “butter” in a nonstick skillet, add the breadcrumbs, and stir over medium heat for several minutes
3. As soon as the breadcrumbs begin to take on a toasty golden color, remove them from the heat
4. Use them warm from the pan, or spread them in a thin layer on a plate or cookie sheet to cool
Enjoy
And that story about the dairy farm you lived next too made me tear up at work. 
No more sad stories, only good reasons why being a vegan is awesome! Oh and that stew looks super yummy! 
I'm so excited for your trip. And thank you for that recipe! That sounds soooo good!!!! 
Your bath salts sound amazing. I have to admit, I'm going to miss you while you're gone. *sniff sniff*
