Shared Kitchen launches artisan products
I’d like to share our exciting news … we have just launched a range of food products!
Some of you will have sampled our olives and lemons before, but our hazelnut dukkah is new on the market. We’ve been trialling it at the Ostend market on Waiheke and the reaction was so positive that we decided to launch it with the olives and lemons.
These are all artisan products made from top quality ingredients. What does artisan mean? To us at Shared Kitchen it means carefully curated quality ingredients, handmade and hand-packed products, products that are as good for you as they are good tasting, products packed in glass (which can be used forever), or cellophane (a vegetable product). All the labels used on the products are printed here on Waiheke by Island Print (thanks Craig!), and are made from recycled card. The twine is from Trade Aid.
Shared Kitchen Hazelnut Dukkah I first put a recipe for dukkah in print back in 1984. The editor asked me what it was, this sort of ‘sprinkle’ of nuts and seeds. ‘What on earth do you do with it?’ she bleated. Perhaps I was 30 years too early, but I persevered. It is now an ingredient to be found on many award-winning restaurant menus. I’ve tinkered with my recipe over the years, as you do, and developed what I think is the most gorgeously flavoured dukkah I’ve ever had. It is made with spray-free South Island hazelnuts (filberts) and flaky sea salt, and secret spices, of course. How to use it? Oh, there are a hundred ways. It will enhance the flavour and texture of many savoury dishes, but perhaps my favourite way is with labna (drained yoghurt) spread on crusty bread or crostini topped with sliced tomatoes and a generous shower of dukkah. A snack packed with goodness, exquisite flavours and a fresh tangy finish.
*The dukkah also makes a great gift, and being light, it travels well! I’ve chosen to pack it in cellophane, a biodegradable vegetable product, not plastic.
Shared Kitchen Marinated Olives Years ago, well back in the mid-90’s, I used to devise menus for Air New Zealand, and do menu wine matches. My husband Remo and I used to prepare products for The Air New Zealand Koru lounge. One of the products we made was marinated olives. Remo perfected the recipe – these are not simply olives thrown into olive oil – until we had a fantastic product. They may be the best olives you eat. Packed in glass, and with extra virgin olive oil, they are stunning to look at and make a great gift to take to a friend’s place in place of a bottle of wine (well, okay, along with a bottle of wine!). Once the olives are finished, use the oil to roast a chicken or a tray of vegetables. The jars are topped with recycled paper and tied with Trade Aid twine.
Shared Kitchen Preserved Lemons These look gorgeous with their cloth top. Preserved lemons are a misunderstood ingredient. Think of them as a pickle. They add a salty intensely lemony flavour to dishes, and they’re a little bit pickle-y-briny too. Whenever food tastes a bit flat, be it a pasta sauce, a couscous salad, a leftover roast chicken sandwich … add a few slices of preserved lemon and you’ll open up a whole range of flavours you hadn’t picked up before, and that’s because the salt combined with lemon works like a seasoning, adding a fresh clean lemony note. Nice.
For the moment the products are available in specialist shops on Waiheke (see below) and at the Ostend market when we are there (this Saturday YES!), with outlets around the country to be confirmed in the coming two weeks. If you would like your local artisan food shop to stock Shared Kitchen products, please pass on the contact email address. [email protected]
And there are more products in the pipeline!
You’ll find plenty of ways to use these products in recipes already on Shared Kitchen. Here’s a start:
Shared Kitchen Marinated Olives
Fried Cauliflower with Olives & Herbs
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Capers & Olives
Quick Olive Hummus with Cauliflower Steaks
Shared Kitchen Preserved Lemons
Baked Eggplant with Spices & Preserved Lemon
Butterflied Shoulder of Lamb & Preserved Lemon Pickle
Bruschetta with Roasted Fennel & Preserved Lemon
Eggplant & Preserved Lemon Salad
Avocado on Pide with Preserved Lemon & Bacon
Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Preserved Lemon
Kumara & Pumpkin Christmas Salad
Shared Kitchen Hazelnut Dukkah
Baked Figs with Baby Mozzarella
Where to buy Shared Kitchen Products
These outlets are all on Waiheke. Please contact me if you wish to stock them in your business or to buy in bulk.
RAW Food Market Waiheke https://www.facebook.com/rawatwaiheke/
Island Grocer http://www.theislandgrocer.co.nz
Waiheke Wine Centre http://waihekewinecentre.com
Rangihoua Olive Estate https://www.rangihoua.co.nz
Te Matuku Oysters https://www.tematukuoysters.co.nz
Hi, interesting blog, with many recipes to try, …. italian traditions. I hope you leave a comment and try some recipes of my little blog.
Ciao
Sabrina
Hello from California, Julie! Returned from our girls trip to New Zealand and excited to be reading your blog. Would love to get my hands on your amazing homemade products here in San Diego. Unbelievable taste! Truly enjoyed them at your private dinner for us. Looking forward to sharing your cookbooks and blogs with fellow foodie friends. Hope you are well!
Thanks Val. You were a delightful group to host. We had so many laughs!
We can certainly send oil, olives and dukkah, and cookbooks.
Keep in touch!