Throughout Otago, people with a love of food and fresh produce are turning out amazing products. For some it's just a hobby, for others it has turned into their livelihood. Rebecca Fox finds out their story.
Given Sharon and husband John specialise in making chutney as well as a range of sauces, jellies, jams and condiments, that provided an opportunity educate people.
Chutneys could be used in many ways including as the more common accompaniment to cheese, she said.
One of the most common ways she uses it is to make dips, just adding her favourite chutneys to yoghurt or sour cream.
''Beetroot and sour cream is one of my favourites - it's so easy, you don't even have to think.''
Another favourite way to use chutneys and sauces was to paint them on to pastry, add the filling and bake.
''It's so simple.''
You can also add it to a basic dressing and toss in cooked potato, celery and bacon for a quick potato salad.
The couple have learned to follow food trends, especially those on television, as customers often ask for products similar to those seen on food programmes.
''That's how we ended up making harissa.''
Their interest in chutneys began with making it for Christmas gifts after John suggested his mother made a good chutney.
''It was time for a change. It might have been easier to go bankrupt opening a cafe in retrospect,'' John joked.
Both keen cooks who enjoyed experimenting, soon they were selling their chutneys at a market.
They now produce 55 to 60 products depending on the seasonal produce available.
They pride themselves on making products dairy and gluten-free and as natural as possible.
''It's really important to us that they're as healthy as you can get. We've even cut back on the sugar - none are more than 80% sugar.''
Most of their vegetables come from their own garden or are sourced from the market and much of their fruit comes from John's father's orchard at Karitane.
They also make their own spice mixes after discovering some are bulked out with other products.
The Moselys are now developing a ''whole food'' approach, using as much of the fruit or vegetable as possible.
''We don't like waste, so we're talking total utilisation.''
And for those curious about the name of their product Bouchee, it comes from Sharon's entertainment phase of creating amuse-bouche or bite-sized morsels.
''Bouchee, with the accent over the first e means mouthful - it's a mouthful of delight.''
Ingredients
1 blind-baked pastry shell
Half a small onion, diced
30g mushrooms, diced
1 rasher bacon, diced
salt to taste
1 tsp oil
2 tsp Bouchee Manuka Smoked Sauce
Method
Heat oil in non-stick pan and saute onion, mushrooms and bacon. Season to taste. Add smoked sauce and saute for 1min. Remove from heat.
Ingredients
4 eggs
¼ cup cream
pinch salt and pepper
60g grated cheese
3 Tbsp smoked sauce
Method
Combine eggs, cream, seasonings and half of the grated cheese and mix lightly.
Spread the extra sauce over the base of the shell and pour egg mix on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake at 180degC for about 20min. Serve as light lunch with green salad or for a more substantial meal with a potato, celery and bacon salad dressed with mayonnaise mixed with the smoked sauce.
