Kitchen Garden: Aranda's Two Before Ten a community affair

Down stairs at the side of the complex is design shop Meet Gather Collect where the owner Thea Bollington’s stock includes bespoke dining tables, graphics and homewares made by Pete Bollington under the Curious Tales label.

To my surprised delight, outside the shop were a series of raised garden beds chock full of produce and I was told they, and other plantings around Aranda shops, were the work of Two Before Ten.

Owners Chris Dennis and his business partner Phillip Mackay built all the beds from standard sleepers which they lined to avoid cross-contamination from the sleepers. Chris says in August last year “we shovelled 30 cubic metres of dirt into them! We then planted 2000 seedlings and pulled out the bazillion weeds over spring and summer.”

The "dirt" was standard veggie mix, because Aranda soil is basically clay, to which they have added general green waste compost and their own coffee grounds. They also add a bit of chaff from the roaster which is leftover coffee bean "husks", a bit like a peanut husk, more organic matter for the worms more to chew on. Sheep manure will be added in August.

In the raised beds are celeriac, black and white cabbages, cauliflower, Asian greens, silver beet, carrots, radishes, kohlrabi, potatoes and cos lettuce just finishing, rhubarb, leeks, swedes and broccoli.

They have planted fruit trees around the site including pomegranate, pears, heritage apples, peaches, white nectarines, cherries, blood orange, limes, lemons, lemonade tree, almonds, hazelnuts and persimmon.

In Two Before Ten’s sheltered courtyard are their herbs: sorrel, sage, oregano, continental parsley, rosemary, nasturtium, dianthus, chillies, beans, blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes. There are blackberries, boysenberries, gojis, youngberries, blueberries and raspberries.

Chris says the edible plantings are there because "it’s a good thing to do" and they have relied on lots of advice, Google searches and handy hints from Aranda locals. He says, “For Phil and I, the hospitality industry isn’t about making a heap of money or being the cool kids on the block. It’s about changing the world - by example.” They are bringing community back to a once derelict shopping centre, and becoming truly sustainable. They are also moving towards vegetarian focussed plates.

Two Before Ten also has a coffee for food program which allows people to bring in produce from their gardens and exchange it for coffee or food from their cafes, thus making the suburbs of Canberra their farm. Chris says, “that’s where the future is - planting our home gardens with edible plants, rather than just aesthetics”.

The Jerusalem artichokes in the recipe which follows came from the coffee for food swap with a local Aranda resident called Kat.

600g Jerusalem artichokes

2 tbsp oil

sprig of thyme

clove crushed garlic

Scrub artichokes clean under running cold water. Try to keep them whole, unless size varies, then cut the larger ones in half. Bring salted water to the boil and cook until soft (10-15 mins). Remove and leave to cool on kitchen paper. To serve: heat oil in a pan, add artichokes, thyme and garlic and panfry until golden and crispy.

Fennel Jam

1 large bulb fennel

200g brown sugar

200ml red wine vinegar

Dice the fennel into approx 1cm cubes. Heat 2 tbsp oil in saucepan, add fennel, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on a high heat until softened, then add vinegar and sugar. Lower the heat and simmer slowly until reduced and sticky (about 20 mins). Set aside in a container.

Baba-Ganoush

1 large eggplant (or 2 small)

200g dried chickpeas (tinned are ok)

1 tbsp America mustard

1 tsp sweet paprika

salt and pepper to taste

If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight in cold water, then cook in boiling water until soft. If using tinned chickpeas, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Put the eggplant over an open burner, turning it regularly until soft all the way through. Put into a bowl and cover with cling wrap until cooled down. Once cool, peel off the charred ekin and top. Add to the blender with remainder of ingredients and blend until smooth.

To serve: bring a pot of water and a splash of white vinegar to the boil. Spin the water with a spoon and drop in the poached eggs (2 per serve) until cooked to desired level (2-3 mins recommended for runny yolk). Take 100g of pepitas and crush them in a pestle and mortar. Toast a slice of sourdough and place in middle of plate. Assemble artichokes on toast with fennel jam and baba ganoush around. Put poached eggs on top of the artichokes with the pepitas over the top. Garnish with herbs.