Maple Brook Farm Mozzarella

The people from Maple Brook Farm asked me to send them a few recipes for their website and I thought I would include those on my site as well. Maple Brook Farm was founded by a woman in West Dover about five years ago. She has since moved the operation to Bennington and has expanded her product line from her original hand formed mozzarella balls to include smoked mozzarella, one of my favorite products, wonderfully smoky and firm with good melting qualities, as well as a fresh ricotta. She was originally importing her milk from Wisconsin, but in the past year or two has been sourcing milk from Vermont instead. We see each other often when we are doing demonstrations such as the Strolling of the Heifers in Brattleboro as well as the Taste of The Deerfield Valley at Mt. Snow in September.

Mozzarella Bruschetti with Roasted Tomato Salsa

this is one of our standbys for passed hors d'oeuvres, easy and delicious

for 8

1 baguette, thinly sliced

1 ball Maple Brook Farm Mozzarella

1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper and sea salt

6 plum tomatoes

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup coarsley chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup capers

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In a 350 degree oven, roast tomatoes, split, with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper until soft and beginning to brown, about 1/2 hour. Remove from oven, peel off skin, and chop coarsely, adding juices and oil to tomatoes. Mix with red onion, parsley and capers and season with vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and more vinegar if necessary.

Slice the baguette thinly, laying out on a sheet pan. Top with sliced mozzarella, and scatter with sliced basil, drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake the bruschetti until beginning to crisp and cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven and top with a teaspoon of salsa. Serve warm .

Eggplant Roulade with Fresh Tomato Sauce

this makes a great first course or served with salad, a great lunch idea

for 6

1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into six slices, discarding two end pieces

2 tablespoons whole fennel seed

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon paprika

olive oil for drizzling

freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt

1 ball Maple Brook Farm smoked mozzarella

2 red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, cut into six pieces

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

8 ripe plum tomatoes, diced into 1/4 inch dice

1 cup dry white wine

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup shredded basil leaves

Toss eggplant slices with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, paprika and enough olive oil to moisten. Lay on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in 425 degree oven until browned and tender, turning occasionally to ensure even coloring. This takes about 20 minutes. When browned and fragrant, remove from oven. Lower heat to 350 degrees.

For the tomatoes, in a stainless steel pan or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute onions until softened, then add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and saute until softened and juices begin to come out of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and when the tomatoes are softened, add white wine and simmer until alcohol has cooked off, tomatoes and onion have blended flavors. Finish the sauce with butter whisked in and finally with fresh basil.

While sauce is simmering, make the eggplant roulades. Cut the mozzarella into six sticks and drape with the roasted red pepper and then roll in the eggplant. In an ovenproof baking dish, arrange the eggplant rolls, seam side down, and ladle over half the tomato sauce. Bake in oven until mozzarella begins to melt. Remove from oven, arrange on plate and drizzle with some of the unbaked tomato sauce.

Late Summer Filet of Beef

this is a dish we look forward to when the fresh corn and tomatoes are in season

for 6 people

Crepe:

1 cup flour

1 cup corn meal

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 # bacon, cut into dice, rendered until just crispy, reserving fat

3 ears corn, cut off the cob

1/2 cup sliced scallion greens

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 tablespoons melted fat, including bacon fat and melted butter

Filet:

6 5oz tenderloin of beef steaks

6 thick slices ripe tomato

6 slices yellow onion, sauted in butter until tender or roasted in the oven until soft and browned lightly

1 ball Maple Brook Farm Smoked Mozzarella

6 ounces red wine beef sauce

To make the crepe batter, in a medium bowl, combine flour, corn meal, salt and pepper. Add the six eggs and mix with whisk, slowly adding milk to form a thin batter. Add the corn, bacon and scallion greens, finishing with melted fat and let sit for 1hour to combine and relax gluten.

Saute the steaks, seasoning with salt and pepper in clarified butter, to desired temperature. While steaks are cooking, make 6 crepes in a seperate hot crepe pan or 6 inch saute pan. You will have extra batter to use at another time. Batter will keep, refrigerated for three to four days.

On large plate, place 1 crepe, top with slice of onion, slice of tomato, seasoned with salt and pepper, top with steak and slice of mozzarella, fold over crepe and drizzle with 1 ounce of sauce. Garnish with grilled scallion and grilled vegetables.