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Susan Parsons: Meet Canberra's biodynamic kitchen gardeners

Susan Parsons

Biodynamic blend: Andrew Bartolich during the cow horn preparation.
Biodynamic blend: Andrew Bartolich during the cow horn preparation.Melissa Adams

Sitting on the step of a wooden deck in winter sunshine, Andrew Bartolich had his sleeve rolled up and, with one hand, he was vigorously stirring lightly coloured water in a large copper pot to create a vortex. This magic brew was Prep 500. Claire-Louise Hayashi, one of the biodynamic compost makers at Petra Cram's house, explained that a small ball of soil, that had been placed in a cow horn and buried in the ground for six months, is put into water and mixed for one hour. Other members of Canberra Biodynamic Gardeners group had been taking it in turn to swirl the water. It is then poured into small bottles for each person to take home to sprinkle on the soil in their vegetable garden.

Darius Outhred, who has a science degree from the ANU, owns a farm near Cooma, where he spends part of his time, also living in Canberra. He explained that biodynamics was founded in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher/scientist. Its essence is in the name and it is the science of "living" change or movement.

Steiner's basic claim was that living things were essentially different from minerals or machines. Life could only come from something that was itself alive. So while non-living materials such as fertiliser could stimulate plant growth, they would also weaken the "life" in the plant, making it more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Vegan rhubarb cheesecake.
Vegan rhubarb cheesecake.ahouseinthehills.com
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Steiner's approach was to propose a series of preparations sourced from living things intended to strengthen the life in plants and animals. These preparations are used in very small quantities but, over time, their effect can build up over a large area just as, under the right conditions, a few seeds can result in a whole paddock covered with plants. In spring, Outhred will be giving a biodynamic workshop at Orana Steiner School in Weston where his oldest son is a student.

Petra Cram grew up in the Hunter Valley, where her initial exposure to biodynamics was through a farming friend called Charlie who grew, among other wonders, the most delicious strawberries. He worked and spoke about the soil as a living being and produced his crops organically but also took into account Earth's atmospheric conditions and the influence of the moon, sun and planets on the quality of the plants.

Petra has lived in Canberra for 17 years and, in 2012, when she was ill, a friend organised a workshop introducing biodynamics that was held in the Cram backyard. It was the rebirth of Petra's interest and a few of the participants flagged the idea of building compost heaps in one another's yards to practise their new skills.

Now there are 10 committed families in the group and anyone interested in joining can email: bdgardeners.canberra@gmail.com.

Newcomers are asked to assist with at least three builds before the group will build one in their yard. The compost is shared among all and the humus is known as black gold.

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A crucial ingredient of the heap is cow manure sourced from local biodynamic farmers to ensure it is chemical and hormone free. There has to be a correct balance between carbon-rich materials and those high in nitrogen and the heat generated by the latter in the process of decomposing means seeds are burnt so no volunteer vegies come up in the compost. The finished heap is covered with a blanket of straw for six months and left alone.

Melissa Crowther, a founding member of the biodynamic group, worked on the compost harvest early on June 7, but left to travel to the Blue Mountains to see the Dalai Lama. However she provided a luxurious rhubarb cheesecake for the lunch table using rhubarb from Petra's garden. The gluten-free recipe comes from photographer/chef/style maven Sarah Yates Mora's "a house in the hills" website (ahouseinthehills.com).

Vegan rhubarb cheesecake

Rhubarb topping:

5 cups rhubarb, chopped into 2.5cm pieces
2 lemons, juiced
5 tbsp honey (or agave)

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Crust:

¾ cup almond flour
¾ cup pecans
¾ cup dates

½ sea salt

Cheesecake:

3 cups cashews, soaked overnight
¼ cup lemon juice (add more to taste)
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup coconut oil

¼ tsp sea salt

Coconut milk whipped cream:

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1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
1 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)

In a medium saucepan combine all of the ingredients for the rhubarb topping and heat over low/medium until rhubarb dissolves (can smash chunks with a spoon). When completely cooked down, spoon topping into a bowl and refrigerate. Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. (Melissa used fresh almond flour left over from making almond milk so it had moisture in it. If using drier almond flour you may need to add a little water; it should be slightly sticky. Evenly spread mixture into a 23-centimetre, removable-bottom tart pan (or traditional pie dish) and place in refrigerator. Combine all cheesecake ingredients in a high-powered blender and combine. Start on low and increase speed to high until mixture is creamy. Add cheesecake mixture to the crust and refrigerate for a couple of hours to solidify. When ready to serve, spread the rhubarb mixture over the top. Scoop out just the hardened coconut milk (you will break through to water, set that aside for a smoothie). In a mixing bowl combine hardened coconut milk with maple syrup and beat with a hand blender on high until light and fluffy. Serve cake chilled.

Susan Parsons is a Canberra writer.

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