Spaghetti Squash & Kale Fritters with Smokey Cashew Sauce
Our CSA members are receiving a lot of the fall harvest (with some lingering summer produce as well!) this week and these fritters were the “recipe of the week” for their boxes. We filled them to the brim with kale, spaghetti squash, onions, zucchini,herbs, potatoes, arugula, garlic, the last of the summer tomatoes and more (for a peek as to what goes into typical CSA boxes each week check out our farm website here).
These fritters are delicious and a crowd pleaser for sure. We had a few hungry friends over for dinner and everyone gave these two thumbs up. I mentioned before that I’ve been whipping up big batches of oven dried cherry tomatoes and they tasted great alongside these fritters. Oven drying sungolds has been our favorite so far but if you can get your hands on any sweet cherry tomato I highly recommend oven drying them (200F for 3 1/2 hours) and keeping a jar on the countertop for a week or storing them in freezer bags or in mason jars in the fridge. Honestly, they’re better than candy!
The smokey cashew sauce we served these fritters with has been featured on the blog multiple times and it’s back today! We love this sauce and the flavors complimented the squash fritters really well. These little cakes can be served as an appetizer or main course when enjoyed with a simple salad. Crack open a beer or pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the flavors of the season. Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!
Spaghetti Squash & Kale Fritters with Smokey Cashew Sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 10 fritters
Fritters:
- 1 spaghetti Squash, cut in half lengthwise (use a sharp knife and steady hand!) seeds removed with a spoon
- 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
Preparation
- 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!
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will vary depending on your ingredients and specific stove/oven *Have fun in the kitchen
Hi Andrea! Oh yes these look and sound just amazing. I am working on some fritter/patties of my own with butternut squash – it’s such a delicious treat. You stopped me dead in my tracks with the dried cherry tomatoes – I have been singing their song for the past month now nonstop and there’s no end in sight! They are beyond candy, you’re so right. Even compared to our normal dried tomatoes – the cherries are super sexy tasting. Happy Autumn lovely lady! ♥
These fritters have my mouth watering. Thank you for sharing!
I love your blog btw, I’ve been farming organically myself and its nice to have a recipe hub for all the fresh produce! I’m going to make these fritters for my friend’s birthday party 🙂