Herbed Beet Fritters with Lemon-Herb Cashew Cream

The next time you have extra beet roots hanging around, I highly recommend that you whip up these herb-filled beet fritters, topped with a bright (not to mention dairy free) lemon-herb cashew cream sauce. Once you’ve mastered this technique of making vegetable fritters, get creative and swap out the grated beets for other veggies like carrots, zucchini and kohlrabi. This 100% plant-based recipe makes for an awesome appetizer, a colorful veggie side, and can even serve as a vibrant vegetarian main dish. This recipe was adapted from one of my very favorite farmers + amazing cooks, Andrea Bemis, and her cookbook + blog Dishing Up the Dirt.

Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Herbed Beet Fritters with Lemon-Herb Cashew Cream

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients

Herbed Beet Fritters

• 2 cups shredded beets (from 2-3 beet roots)
• 2 tablespoons minced mint
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced dill
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax stirred into 6 tablespoons water)
• 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
• Flaky sea salt and minced fresh herbs, optional garnish

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 30 mins in boiling hot water
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

instructions

1. For the Cashew Cream Sauce: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add them into a food processor along with with 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, oil, mint, parsley, dill, and garlic. Process until completely smooth and creamy. If the sauce seems too thick add a bit more water. Taste and add kosher salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Make ahead the flax eggs for the Beet Fritters: Combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax in a small bowl with 6 tablespoons water. Whisk to combine and allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes in your fridge. 
3. In a large bowl combine the grated beets, mint, parsley, dill, red onion, salt, chickpea flour, and cumin. Add the flax eggs and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 
4. Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop the beet mixture into roughly 1/4 cup portions and lightly flatten them into patties. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Cook the fritters in batches, adding more coconut oil to the skillet as needed. 
5. Serve with a dollop of the Cashew Cream Sauce, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

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Beet Chips with Herbed Goat Cheese

Crunchy, colorful, and downright delicious – these roasted beet chips  topped with herbed goat cheese make memorable appetizers, especially around the holidays. If you don’t have beets on hand, this dish is just as fabulous with other  root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, and parsnips.

Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Beet Chips with Herbed Goat Cheese

prep time: 15 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 30 mins

ingredients

Coconut oil or oil olive cooking spray

1-2 large beets (or other root vegetable)

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as mint, dill, chives)

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly coat each sheet with cooking spray.
2. Use a mandoline (or careful knife skills) to slice beets very thinly (ideally 1/16” thick).
3. Arrange beet slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Coat the tops of the beets lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper.
4. Bake until crisp, about 15-20 minutes. You are looking for the edges to turn up and begin to brown. Some chips will finish before others, so remove them in batches as needed. The chips may feel a little flimsy, but they will crisp as they cool. Transfer to a cooling rack or paper towel and cool for 5 minutes.
5. To make the herbed goat cheese, combine 4 ounces goat cheese and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs in a small bowl and stir together until well combined.
6. To assemble, scoop spoonfuls of the herbed goat cheese onto the beet chips, and garnish with additional herbs. Best enjoyed the same day the chips are made.

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Spiced Pumpkin Cashew Dip

This 100% plant based dip is super creamy and full of warm pumpkin spices, bright citrus, a touch of sweetness, and a hint of heat from the cayenne pepper. Slather it on toast, crackers, apples or (if you’re anything like me..) just eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon.

Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Spiced Pumpkin Cashew Dip

prep time: 10 minscook time: total time: 10 mins

ingredients

1 cup pumpkin purée (canned is fine)

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour in boiling hot water

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pumpkin seeds (optional garnish)

instructions

1. Measure out 1 cup of pumpkin puree and put into your food processor.
2. Drain the cashews and add to the bowl of the food processor, along with all of the remaining ingredients.
3. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If consistency is too thick, add more coconut oil, orange juice, or water.
4. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

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Roasted + Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries are the golden retriever puppies of the culinary world. I mean, who can resist a good sweet potato fry?! Here's my go-to recipe in hopes that you'll kick on your oven and bring more deliciousness into the world with these roasted + spiced sweet potato fries. They are delightfully crispy on the outside, luscious and soft on the inside, with a hint of spice and a touch of honey.

Author: Michelle Aronson, FarmbellyPrint Recipe

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Roasted + Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

prep time: 10 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 40 mins

ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Honey, to serve

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1/2″ wedges, or to your desired thickness and length and put in a large bowl. Whisk the spices together in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then pour over the sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly. 
3. Transfer the potatoes to your rimmed baking sheets. Spread the potatoes in a single layer (to make sure they get crispy, not soggy) and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking for even browning. 
4. Remove from the oven once the edges begin to brown and fries begin to crisp. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt (and honey, for a sweet touch) to serve.

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Slow Roasted Cherry Tomato Confit

Without question, cherry tomatoes are my favorite kind of tomato. And my favorite way to cook these sweet bursts of sunshine? Slow roasting them in a warm, luxurious bath of olive oil, fresh herbs, and garlic. This method is called a confit (pronounced con-FEE ), which is a culinary technique where an ingredient is slow cooked in liquid fat. And when I say slow cooked, there's an emphasis on the world slow – as this recipe needs 2-3 hours in the oven.

That being said, this couldn't be easier to prep – just toss your cherry tomatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, herbs, garlic, and some flaky sea salt. The end result is a bevy of cherry tomatoes bursting with juicy, caramelized sweetness – not to mention the leftover olive oil that's infused with glorious tomato-garlic-herb-iness. The slow roasted tomatoes (and the aforementioned infused olive oil) are fabulous on toasted bruschetta, incorporated in bright summer salads, topped on warm ricotta or polenta, or served alongside grilled meats, fish, or chicken. The recipe (which was slightly adapted from the wonderful blog ful-filled) is very forgiving, so feel free to change it up / use what you have on hand. 

SLOW ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO CONFIT

PREP + COOK TIME: 10 minutes prep, 2-3 hours in the oven

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 275F.
2. Fill a rimmed baking tray with whole cherry tomatoes. Add olive oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary to the tray and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.
3. Roast, uncovered for 2-3 hours until the tomatoes are swollen and the skins are wrinkled (total time will depend on the size of your tomatoes).
4. Cool tomato mixture to room temperature, discard the rosemary, thyme, and garlic (this lengthens the shelf life of the tomatoes). Store tomatoes with oil and accumulated pan juices in an airtight container (I use mason jars) in refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months. Bring tomatoes to room temperature before serving (as the olive oil will harden in the fridge/freezer).