Howdy folks and welcome to week 18 of your CSA! We hope you all are enjoying the incredibly beautiful Fall weather we've been having recently. Crisp and cool mornings with warm afternoons and chilly evenings. What could be better? Hopefully you all aren't working too hard and get to sneak away from indoor activities to enjoy some fresh air.
Taylor and I feel incredibly lucky to be working out on the farm this time of year. All of the heat, bugs, sweat and tears are totally worth it. The Pacific Northwest sure has its moments and Autumn is a great time of the year to be a farmer out here.
This week your boxes have a few summer staples making a comeback! Yay for the last of the tomatoes and summer squash! This week we are also introducing a few new items and as we enter into October your boxes will shift significantly into full blown Fall produce. Enjoy those tomatoes while you can!
We hope you all get to relax a bit in the kitchen this week and cook up some of your fresh produce. The recipe of the week is a winner and tastes extra good with a few colds ones. Take care everyone and enjoy these last couple of days of September. Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!
Week 18 Box
- Spaghetti Squash -The first of the winter squash varieties we harvested. (see the recipe of the week)
- Leeks
- Radishes-remove the greens so they stay crisp longer!
- Arugula
- Kale
- Red Potatoes
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Summer Squash/Zucchini
- Garlic
- Hot Peppers- Jalapeños and Serranos
Spaghetti Squash & Kale Fritters with Smokey Cashew Sauce
Fritters:
- 1 spaghetti Squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed (use a sharp knife and steady hand to slice the squash in half!)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 leeks OR 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup oat flour-ground in a food processor or blender from about 3/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats (can sub all purpose flour if need be)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- neutral oil for frying
Smokey Cashew Sauce:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 30 minutes in water
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika (more or less depending on preference)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper + more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup water + additional to thin if necessary
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the squash slices with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Place cut side down and roast until fork tender. About 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before scraping out the flesh with a fork. Reduce the oven temperature to 200F.
- While the squash cooks prepare the veggies. Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, and kale. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the kale is slightly wilted adding additional oil if necessary. Remove from the heat and place the cooked veggies in a large bowl. Wipe out the pan and set it aside (you'll be using it again!)
- Once the squash has cooled use a fork to scrape out the flesh into long strands. Place the scraped squash strands into a dish towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Place wrung out squash in the bowl with the cooked veggies. Add the eggs, flour, salt and spices. Mix until well combined.
- Place the cornmeal in a shallow dish and using your hands form the squash/veggie mixture into small uniform patties (about 1/4 inch thick) Carefully dip each side of the patty in the cornmeal. (The patties may be a bit fragile at this point but they'll be sturdy once they're fried up!)
- Heat about 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches add the squash patties in a single layer and fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Keep the cooked fritters warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.
- Prepare the cashew sauce by draining the soaked cashews and running them under cold water. Place the cashews along with the rest of the sauce ingredients into a high speed blender and blend on the highest setting until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Add additional water-1 Tablespoon at a time- until you reach the right consistency.
- Serve fritters with the smokey cashew sauce and enjoy!