No matter what your favorite tomato recipe is, fresh mozzarella enhances the flavors of ripe, garden-fresh tomatoes. Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella is available in several varieties that will complement whatever tomato dish you’re looking forward to enjoying. Choose from small mozzarella balls in four sizes (pearl size, cherry size, golf ball and egg size), Marinated Fresh Mozzarella, and Fresh Mozzarella Medallions. Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella is also available in 8-ounce and 1-pound balls and 1-pound logs. Below are ways you can pair Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella with freshly harvested tomatoes for seasonal meals.
- Fancy enough for brunch yet simple enough for a one-pot family meal made in an oven-safe skillet, Italian-Style Shakshouka (recipe below) is a spin on the classic North African dish. It incorporates poached eggs simmered in a sauce of fresh tomatoes, onions and roasted peppers. The sauce gets an extra boost from cumin and smoked paprika. After the eggs are cracked into the sauce, add an 8-ounce container of Crave Brothers Marinated Mozzarella, Ciliegine (cherry size), reserving the marinade. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, until eggs are cooked and the Fresh Mozzarella is just beginning to melt. Serve Shakshouka with marinated crostini, made by brushing both sides of sliced Italian bread with ¼ cup of marinade from Crave Brothers Marinated Mozzarella. Bake until bread slices are lightly browned on both sides.
- Make an easy Tomato Mango Salad by combining chopped fresh tomatoes with fresh mango that has been peeled and cut into chunks. Add Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella, Perlines and chopped fresh basil to taste. Drizzle the salad with Italian dressing.
- Toss Roasted Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes with Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella, Ciliegine size. Add olive oil, herbs and a splash of balsamic vinegar. If desired, add black olives just before serving.
- Create an Autumn Baked Pasta Dish featuring fresh chopped tomatoes and Crave Brothers Marinated Fresh Mozzarella. To a sauté pan with olive oil, add chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and 1 to 2 tsp. Italian seasoning and cook for about 1 minute. Cook your favorite pasta shape (bowties, linguine, angel hair or penne) to desired doneness and toss with the tomato mixture and Crave Brothers Marinated Fresh Mozzarella, along with a small amount of the marinade. Reserve remaining marinade. Add more Italian seasoning if desired, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the pasta mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350° for about 25 minutes. Serve with toasted crusty bread that has been brushed with remaining marinade from Crave Brothers Marinated Fresh Mozzarella.
- Bake Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella in a Fresh Tomato Pie. Use your favorite recipe for this classic. Line a partially baked pie shell with sliced onion, sliced fresh tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and very thinly sliced Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella. Top with a mixture of shredded Parmesan, cheddar or Gruyere with mayonnaise. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.
Licensed cheesemaker George Crave oversees the making of all the Crave Brothers handcrafted artisan cheeses. Like other Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Fresh Mozzarella is made with milk from the family’s own dairy herd. Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is sustainably produced in the family’s own farmstead cheese-making facility that practices water conservation, recycling, and uses 100 percent green power. Their anaerobic biodigester produces enough electricity to power the Crave Brothers Farm, the farmstead cheese-making plant, and over 300 homes in their community.
At the recent 2018 Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest, Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Marinated Mozzarella won a First Place Award, and also took First Place honors in the 2018 World Cheese Championships as well the 2018 Dodge County Fair Cheese Judging.
Visit the website at www.cravecheese.com for other recipe ideas such as Caprese Salad, featuring Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Fresh Mozzarella and tomatoes.
Italian-Style Shakshouka with Crave Brothers Farmstead Marinated Mozzarella and Marinated Crostini
Italian Shakshouka:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 6 eggs
- 1 container (8 ounces) Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Marinated Ciliegine
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Crusty Italian bread
- ¼ cup reserved marinade from Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Marinated Ciliegine
Pre-heat oven to 400˚ F. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion,cook until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook for about 30 seconds. Add roasted red peppers and tomatoes with juice. Simmer about 2 minutes. If necessary, season with sea salt, to taste.
Using the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the tomato sauce and crack 1 egg into each well. Then, place marinated ciliegine cheese throughout the tomato sauce. (Reserve remaining marinade for crostini.) Transfer the pan into the oven; bake until egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft, about 8 minutes. The mozzarella will just begin to melt. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with prepared crostini.
For the Marinated Crostini, slice Italian bread into ¼-inch slices. Lightly brush both sides with the reserved marinade from a container of marinated ciliegine cheese. Bake until lightly browned on both sides, about 8-10 minutes. Crostini can be prepared in advance and set aside until ready to serve with Italian Shakshouka.
- Yields: 6 servings