Chopped Junior winner wants you to eat local.
When University of Nevada, Reno freshman Elisabeth Watkins was 14 years old, unbeknownst to her parents, she applied for the first season of a Food Network cooking competition show for youths. When the Watkinses received a call letting them know their daughter had been selected for Chopped Junior, they were surprised, to say the least.
Debuting in episode five, Watkins cooked an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, the latter of which she believes sealed her victory. The secret ingredients the competitors were required to use were dehydrated cheese, French fries, applesauce, and passionfruit.
“I made a dehydrated cheese and French fry crumble with cinnamon-sugared apples and a passionfruit raspberry compote,” Watkins recalls.
Farming Foundation
Growing up on a farm and ranch in Linden, Calif., a town of roughly 2,000 people, Watkins was surrounded by food. Her mother cooked three meals a day, and her family grew walnuts, almonds, peaches, cherries, and hay while also raising beef cattle.
Most gatherings in Linden, which has a large Italian community, include food from family recipes for sausage, salami, and focaccia. The Watkinses make homemade ravioli together, and every New Year’s Eve, they cook a massive batch of cioppino for 50 to 60 close friends and family. Watkins’ Portuguese mother’s filhós (doughnuts) are another favorite treat at gatherings.
Life in Linden has been a constant source of inspiration for the young cook.
“I was a very active member of my local 4-H club, and that’s how I started cooking,” Watkins says. “I took the 4-H cooking project at 9 years old and fell in love with it. I then started competing in competitions.”
By high school, she was analyzing cookbooks as part of her required reading for English class.
Educating on Agriculture
More confident and articulate than most adults, Watkins began to segue her Chopped Junior success and agriculture knowledge into TV and radio appearances.
“I would go on and cook on TV, and I would always wear cowboy boots, jeans, a belt buckle, and cowboy shirt. Someone said, ‘You’re a farm girl on there,’ so that’s how Farm Girl Chef got its name,” she says of the website and social media platforms she runs to promote local agriculture and seasonal cooking.
The 19-year-old says the best way to describe her cooking is “farm to table.”
“I like to bake bread because it means I’m home long enough to let it rise,” she adds. “But really, it’s whatever is in season that inspires me. It depends on the weather and what the farmer dropped off.”
Now, as a freshman at UNR, Watkins is studying agricultural science and journalism. She loves working on live TV and educating viewers about where their food comes from.
“I always say Farm Girl Chef’s mission is to reconnect the consumer to where food comes from and how it’s produced,” Watkins says. “And I think food brings people together regardless of religion or social status or political opinions. I love that you can sit at a table, share a meal, and learn so much about a person.”
For recipes and stories from Watkins, visit Farmgirlchef.us.
Claire McArthur is a freelance writer who wishes all of her interviewees were as prepared and well-spoken as 19-year-old Elisabeth Watkins.
Beef Breakfast Strata
(courtesy of Elisabeth Watkins, UNR student, former Chopped Junior winner, and owner of Farm Girl Chef. Serves 6 to 8)
1 pound beef strips, thinly shaved
2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces soft goat cheese
¾ cup roasted red bell peppers
5 cups bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
7 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it becomes translucent and begins to caramelize. Remove onion to a small bowl. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil. Quickly brown beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl containing onions.
To prepare bread, place cubes on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350-degree F oven for 10 minutes. The bread should dry out some.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with oil. Place half of the bread cubes in base of dish. Top with onions, beef, and roasted red bell peppers. Top with remaining bread cubes. Sprinkle goat cheese crumbles evenly over bread. Pour egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bake in a 350-degree F oven 45 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
