The meta answer is GREEN (Hint: Find a 5-letter adjective.)
First, a quick note: This puzzle had way more movie and TV-related clues than usual. Not a misdirect or a red herring; it just kind of happened. With that out of the way!
Five of the longer Across answers were either foods or ingredients for various dishes (PIE DOUGH, HAM GRAVY, GARLIC BREAD, SOYBEANS, AND CHESTNUT). So the answer's gonna be food-related, right?
Not quite! The last word of each of those answers also all have something in common: they're slang synonyms for "money" (dough, gravy, bread, beans, and nut). Note that the puzzle's title includes another slang term for money, "scratch."
In addition, five Down answers intersect with those slang words that are found in phrases along with the word "money" (money BAGS, money ORDER, money MEN, EDDIE Money, and NEW money). And where those words intersect with the "food-slang-for-money" words are the letters G, R, E, E, and N. Thus, you get GREEN--which is not only another slang term for money, but also a 5-letter adjective that satisfies the puzzle's hint.