Feletti goes all chick

Steve Feletti has built quite a reputation as an oyster grower at Batemans Bay (his Moonlight Flat brand sells into restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne; he says Italian and Sons is a customer in Canberra, but Canberra’s "a tough market for premium oysters"), but now he’s growing chickpeas, pretty much an unrelated form of agriculture.

They're grown on his Cowra farm, LeGrenier (legrenierfarm.com.au), and he's aiming at the high end of the market.

He's selling them as whole chickpeas, split peas (channa dhal), and fine and coarse grind stone-ground flours.

Sold through Choku Bai Jo in North Lyneham in 500 gram calico bags, but available up to 25 kilogram bags.

Feletti is developing recipes for Western use of chickpeas, as opposed to Middle Eastern, and says the standout way to use them he’s discovered so far is to cook them, then smoke them, and use as a snack or in salads.

He’s also got plans for "a complete portfolio of packaged cereals and legumes", including "a comprehensive do-it-yourself muesli selection".

Kirsten Lawson