Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Helps Celebrate Summer With Caprese Salad Variations - From Classic To Creative

As summer temperatures climb, what is more tempting than a fresh salad? And what salad is more appealing to the eye and to the taste buds than Caprese Salad? The sublimely fresh and colorful combination -- Fresh Mozzarella cheese, luscious tomatoes and aromatic basil -- is just magical.

The classic Caprese Salad can be an inspiration for a number of creative dishes, says Debbie Casucci-Crave, of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese. She and her husband, George, craft award-winning Fresh Mozzarella, using milk from the Holstein cows on the dairy farm operated by the Crave brothers.

Debbie loves foods that reflect her own family's Italian heritage. And while she is a fan of the classic Caprese Salad, she also enjoys reinterpreting the familiar dish, either by plating the salad creatively, or by updating the recipe with less-traditional but equally delicious ingredients.

Debbie starts every Caprese Salad with Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Fresh Mozzarella, a creamy white soft cheese that they make in a variety of sizes: Perline is a tiny, 2-gram ball, Ciliegine is a cherry-size ball, and Bocconcini is a small ball of about 1.5 ounces. Fresh Mozzarella styles that are good for slicing include Ovoline, an egg-sized ball of approximately 4 ounces, 8-ounce Balls; and 1-pound Logs. Offering the ultimate in sliced convenienceare medallions, pre-sliced portions of Fresh Mozzarella and Marinated Fresh Mozzarella, which is made with a custom blend of olive oil and spices.

It's important to use only the freshest tomatoes and basil. Summer is the perfect time for this because perfectly ripe ingredients are widely available, from back-yard gardens, farmers markets and grocery stores. But once you've chosen the right cheese, basil and tomatoes, the sky is the limit for creative ideas, says Debbie.

These ideas are just springboards for other reinterpretations of a classic Caprese Salad, and points out the creative energies at work at these acclaimed specialty stores: Larry's Market, in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Metcalfe's Market, with locations in Madison and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Larry's Market: This store, originally known as The Brown Deer Market, has been a neighborhood fixture for over 100 years. In the 1960s, Larry Ehlers, then an employee of the store, became fascinated with selling "exotic" merchandise such as fresh-cut flowers, frozen foods, perishables and specialty cheeses - items that were novel products in food stores at the time. Ehlers later bought the store, renamed it Larry's Market, and proceeded to set the bar for specialty food purveyors in Milwaukee. Today, Steve Ehlers ensures that Larry's Market maintains its edge by being open to new products, offering classes and tasting opportunities, and stocking a variety of quality products. At the heart of Larry's Market is the cheese case, with a selection of fine cheeses from around the world -- and from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, located just an hour away in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

With the same original thinking that has made Larry's Market a specialty food destination, Steve Ehlers offers a new take on the Caprese Salad. Inspired by the milky flavor, smooth texture and versatility of Fresh Mozzarella from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, he transformed the traditional Italian salad into a bold, Mexican-style dish. He starts with traditional Caprese ingredients - Fresh Mozzarella cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. But he uses sliced and grilled yellow squash instead of the usual fresh tomatoes, cilantro in place of basil, and toasted pepita (pumpkin seeds) rather than pine nuts. Ehlers adds popular Mexican flavor accents such as chopped onions and jalapeno peppers, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The result is a zesty and delicious salad t