Going from a small start-up to a budding enterprise, Farmer’s Cheese started its journey in a small kitchen and has now transitioned into a factory, set up to ensure large-scale production of what essentially begun as home-made cheese. Farmer’s Cheese birthed under the notion of Pakistanis not knowing what cheese truly tastes like.
Though functioning in the cultural heart of Pakistan – Lahore, the cheese making is Italian in nature and the attention to detail is what sets the company apart from its competitors; commercial entities that due to dearth of knowledge, research and proper information, tend to overlook the complexities of texture and taste.
Farmer’s Cheese supplies its product to the likes of Café Martinez, Kitchen Cuisine and Gloria Jean’s and Imran Saleh, the man behind the idea and inception of Farmer’s Cheese, says he doesn’t mind delivering his products himself, if his driver isn’t available. The same passion, conviction and dedication is reflected in his work.
Though the pace was sluggish initially, international blogs and chefs slowly and gradually became aware of the factory and Farmer’s Cheese officially gained recognition abroad. Though most types of cheese are available in the market, variations like Brie, Guda and Feta have never been paid attention to except at the Farmer’s Cheese factory.
One of the most popular cheeses around the world, Mozzarella, belonging to the “Pasta Filata Family” (cheese that can be stretched), is known to be bitter in taste. However at Farmer’s Cheese, a place where the taste is true to its essence, Mozzarella is sweet, milky and creamy, unlike the bitter, hard slabs churned out by other brands. The reason, in particular, is that people making cheese at the domestic level fail to maintain a specified PH value that is essential to the taste and texture of the product. Imran Saleh reveals that PH 5.3 is the desired level required to put in the essential stretch in the mozzarella. Another reason for the unique tasting Mozzarella is that no preservatives are added and the process is completely organic. Moreover, the rennet (curdled milk extracted from the stomach of an unweaned calf), used to curdle milk in the cheese, is made from a plant source Mucor Mehi which is 100% halal and is especially imported from renowned companies from Canada and America.
An expert at making ‘true Italian Pizza’, Imran Saleh has very amiably shared his recipe with the Kluchit Team.
Farmer’s Special Mozzeralla Pizza:
Preparing the dough:
- 3 portions Flour
- 1 portion Wheat
- Instant yeast- I tbsp
- Sugar- 2-3 tbsp
- Salt- to taste.
- Mix the ingredients and keep in a sealed box for 1 hour.
Italian Sauce:
- Tomato Paste- ½ kg tin
- Tomato Puries- 200 gm
- Salt- 1 tsp
- Basil and Oregano for taste.
- Add the above-mentioned ingredients to the pan on a low flame and let it sit there for 6-8 hours. Add some chicken stock, stirring on and off, to ensure that the sauce doesn’t turn solid. Once done, keep the sauce in the fridge for 2 days to obtain the best results.
Method:
- Place the dough on a medium sized pan.
- Pour the Italian sauce over it and level with a spoon.
- Add shredded Farmer’s Mozzarella Cheese.
- Top up with chicken pieces, capsicum, tomatoes, green pepper, olives and round cut onions.
- Shred Farmer’s Mozzarella cheese over the Pizza again and place in the oven at 200C for 20 mins.
- Serve hot.
Contributed by Zainab Assad, a student of Media Studies, ex-magazine editor at Lahore Grammar School, debater and a social activist.
Assistant Food Editor
Kluchit.com
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