June 23, 2009
Amanda De Jager Friedman

This week’s culinary vocabulary--Sous Chef (soo-sheff): the second in command in a brigade system; the underchef.

Believe it or not, there was a day when I resented my humble position as the family sous chef. In fact, I resented the act of cooking all together. In my over assured pre-teen opinion, it was nothing short of a cruel curse, dictated to me solely on the basis of my first born-birth order and exclusive position as the only “farmer’s daughter” in the household. The job was thankless, messy, and tedious.

As the hot valley summers would have it, our dad harassed us out of bed at the crack of dawn to “get after it” before the weather became too warm. While the boys pedaled their bikes down the rooted dirt road leading to the family dairy farm, my mom and I would embark on another day of washing Wranglers, fielding phone calls, and, naturally, cooking up some hearty farm boy fare. By the time the rascally little ranch hands came in for lunch, red-cheeked and toting pellet guns, pockets full of cottonseed, they were ravenous as pre-hibernation grizzlies, not to mention uncouth. I was convinced at the time that I was being held captive on the set of a modern day, low budget spaghetti western, and I longed for the day I could escape far away to a good college. I made up my mind that I’d never cook for boys again.

College finally arrived to whisk me away to freedom, and ironically, I learned in short order that all those years of acting as sous chef for the family-of-seven-feeding-frenzy were coming in handy. Before I knew it, I was catering super bowl parties and teaching my roommates’ parents how to glaze a ham.

More importantly, however, getting my hands dirty in the kitchen taught me real life lessons about working as a family, being industrious, and essentially, figuring out how to make somethin’ out of nothin’. There was no grocery store around the corner, so depending on cook books was useless. It was a daily effort to use up the leftovers, and the saying never rang more true: necessity was the mother of invention. The same principle applies to farming. Regardless of the weather, the market prices, or the fact that it happens to be a holiday, the cows must be milked and the trees must be watered. Farmers just make do.

While college educations are becoming a vital part of our life stories, there is no better teacher than the hands on experiences we endure from an early age. This summer, take the opportunity to work together with your children, whether it’s on a farm, in the office, or in kitchen. Don’t worry about the mess they’ll make…it’s a small price to pay for the lifelong lesson you’ll give them. If a kid understands the value of ambition and diligence, they will do well.

While nachos are by no means a culinary tour de force (although I know a few who might argue the case), they are a great way to use up leftover meat, veggies, and cheese. Beyond that, nachos make a perfect centerpiece for a table of famished kids who would probably love to take a break and scarf chips together. I’ve made many a hungry kid happy with these!

For what it’s worth, I think the best nacho chips come from Rancho San Miguel grocery store. They fry a fresh batch of the thick, crispy chips on a regular basis, and they store well in the freezer if you can’t use all of them. Although, I doubt you’ll have leftovers! While you’re there, the pico de gallo and the salsa verde fit right into the following recipe suggestions.



Dairy Brothers Nachos

Tortilla Chips

2 Cups leftover meat (pork tenderloin was used for this recipe testing)

½ Cup Salsa Verde

1 15oz. can of pinquitos (seasoned pink beans)

2 cups shredded jack cheese

1 cup pico de gallo

1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese

Guacamole

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop up leftover meat and place in a sauté pan with salsa verde. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Allow the juices to reduce, and the meat to become tender. Add can of pinquitos, and heat until beans are hot. Remove from heat.
Spray a sheet pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange chips on sheet tray in a hearty layer. Spoon the meat and bean mixture over the chips, followed by jack cheese, then pico de gallo, and finally by the cotija cheese.
Heat in oven for 12-14 minutes, or until cheese is just beginning to bubble. Serve with guacamole. And by the way, if you ate today, thank a farmer!