Join us via bicycle to celebrate Earth Day at our celebration of alternative transit, green living and healthy eating! Mueller Farmers’ Market is excited to host three great Austin bike groups during our market hours 10a-2p: Bike Austin, Austin Bike Zoo and Metrocycle Pedicabs!

Bike Austin will provide pull-up-and-park guarded bike valet, a minor repair bike workstand, and info booth with advice, tips and info on good bike routes and on cycle tracks. Free Austin bicycle maps and larger display maps will be on hand for attendees to view new and improved routes.

Bike valet parking accommodates up to 100 bikes at one time!

Austin Bike Zoo will bring three bikes, two Butterflies and a Bat Bike, shown below. Kids may ride these free of cost in a loop around the market accompanied by trained staff. This unique and majestic feature of the Bikefest will excite all!

Metrocycle pedicabs provided courtesy of the market, cyclists shuttling visitors between the parking garage near the Thinkery and the farmers market (cyclists ride for tips only).

Great raffle donations include:

• Basket from Jack & Adam’s valued at $75 that includes a shirt, water bottle, and a gift certificate for a free bike tune-up
• Family pass for the Austin Mini-Maker Faire on May 3
• Free subscription to Edible Austin where you receive new issues directly in your mailbox (valued at $35)
• Family cooking kit with an adult size and kids apron from the market (valued at $34)

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Bike Austin. Tickets will be $2 for one ticket or $5 for 3 tickets, cash only please.

Chef Russ cooked up delicious Butternut Squash Soup on Saturday, January 18, 2014.  He used this recipe, adding a 4″ piece of kombu in step 5.

John from Assured Sharp taught Mueller market goers last weekend how to hone their knives between sharpenings.

Here are the top 5 takeaway tips for caring for your knives from Kate of Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking.

1. Pay attention to the angle at which he’s honing in the video. No need for a protractor, just go slowly.

2. You need to sharpen your chef knife periodically. Sharpening is actually shaving off a layer of your knife to smooth out and remove chips, divots and burrs that form with use. I sharpen ours once every three months.

3. Using the basic honing steel as shown above does not sharpen your knife; it simply realigns the blade edge which can curl over on the microscopic level after banging against your board repeatedly, slicing through foods and during everyday use (causing you to think your knife is dull). Some rods are dual sharpening/honing tools, but I say pay the kind knife sharpener in your neighborhood $8 every few months and know that your knife’s most prized asset (its blade) is in good hands.

4. If you hone it between sharpenings, you’ll have to sharpen your knife less often.

5. How often do you hone? Mid-way through and after using your knife intensively. A butcher might hone his/her knife five or six times in an hour depending on the task at hand, since keeping your knife blade in alignment is key when your job is to cut stuff up.

Butternut Squash Fritters with Goat Cheese and Cinnamon Basil

by Chef Brittan Wilson Egbert

Ingredients

• 3 cups of raw butternut squash, grated
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cinnamon basil plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of baking powder
• Cooking oil for frying
• Goat cheese

Instructions

Wash squash and pat dry, peel and cut off both ends. Peel and chop one small onion. Grate squash with a box grater.  Break two eggs into a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk with a fork.  Add grated squash and carrot,  add chopped onions and cinnamon basil. Then add all the seasonings and baking powder.  Add flour as needed (more if your squash is wet and less if it is dry).  Heat a skillet to medium heat, add 2 Tbs vegetable oil.  Drop the squash mixture by spoon into hot skillet, cook about 3-5 minutes on both sides until brown.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let drain.  Top with goat cheese.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Cauliflower Gratin

by Chef Brittan Wilson Egbert

4 small heads of cauliflower chopped 

7 leeks or green garlic sliced (just the white part)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

8oz shredded Cumin Cheddar Cheese from Dos Lunas

12oz cream cheese softened

1 pint heavy cream 

2 tsp ground cumin toasted

4 oz Cheddar Pepper Crackers from Millstone crushed

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Cast Iron Skillet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute leeks with a little olive oil to brown and soften and then remove from skillet and set aside. Saute cauliflower in same skillet with a little more oil until dark brown and caramelized. Then add garlic and saute for a minute or two.  Mix together cream cheese and heavy cream and add to skillet. Add leeks and mi everything well. Season with salt and pepper and toasted cumin. Top with cheese and bake in the oven until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Remove from oven and top with crushed Cheddar Pepper Crackers and bake a few minutes more. Enjoy warm.