Veggies Don't Bite

Grind the cashews in a food processor until you get a fine powder. You are grinding them dry, not soaked.

Add the vinegar, garlic, salt and mustard and blend until you get a smooth paste, scraping the sides as you go.

Add in the fresh tomatoes, basil and sundried tomatoes and pulse to incorporate. Don’t puree too much because you want some texture.

Now scrape out the creamy mixture and place it in cheese cloth, a tea towel or just any piece of cloth. Wrap it up into a ball and rubberband it (see the post for photos).

Put the ball in a mesh strainer and then put that over a bowl (see photo in the post on this too). Place it in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours, but overnight is best. This will help draw out the small amount of moisture that is in the cheese, firming it up a bit. You don’t have to use a strainer but that helps keep its shape.

Now, if you simply can’t wait and must eat this now, or just don’t want to deal with cloth, then you can definitely eat this as a spread. You can simply put it in a bowl, and top with the breadcrumb topping or skip the breadcrumbs all together.

To make the breadcrumb topping, place all ingredients in a pan and heat on medium low, constantly mixing, until browned a bit. This takes about 3-5 minutes max. You can use a drizzle of oil if you prefer to get an even crispier result. You can do this the same day you make the cheese ball, then store in a container until the next day when you coat it.

When ready to finish the cheese ball, pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Take the cheese ball out of the cloth and place it on the breadcrumbs. Slowly roll it around, or use your hands to coat the ball.

Serve with crackers and veggies!

The cheese ball will soften the longer it is out of the fridge, but once coated in breadcrumbs still retains its shape well.