Students Battle for Best Recipe in Kern County Fair Chopped Challenge

The Kern County Fair came alive today with the inaugural Chopped Challenge, where teams of school nutrition staff and high school students faced off in a cooking competition. Hosted at the Frontier Stage, the event showcased creative culinary talent and promoted the principles of healthy eating inspired by the Blue Zones Project (BZP).

Six teams, each with one student and one school district nutrition director, were tasked with creating plant-based dishes using main ingredients and one of three secret ingredients all under 30 minutes. The dishes were then scrutinized by a panel of judges to determine the best recipe.

In the end, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District’s Jeanelle Jones and Stockdale High School’s Simar Singh won the competition with their Mexican Styled Chipotle Salad. Their dish used two of the three secret ingredients: purple sweet potatoes and jackfruit. The third secret ingredient was two eggs.

Jonathan Gallardo, the organization lead for Blue Zones Project Bakersfield, calls the Chopped Challenge a great opportunity for a friendly competition, and also a chance to inspire healthy eating options at the fair, an event typically dominated by deep-fried treats.

“Yes, we have all the turkey legs, we have all the deep-fried Oreos, but we just want there to be balance. We want there to be healthy options,” he said. “You can make very delicious meals with strictly plant-based items.”

Gallardo stressed the importance of showcasing students involved in the culinary arts. Learning to cook is a vital skill, and a viable career path. He said culinary students are often overshadowed by other competitions like sports.

“We wanted to provide this avenue for students to come out and shine in that space,” he said. “It’s very important that we get them excited about cooking and show that you can also get recognized for being a chef.”

The BZP team said it’s proud to team up with the Kern County Fair for this event, celebrating agriculture in our community as well as promoting the BZP’s power nine principles. Gallardo says the fair has a year-long education program for students, as well as a robust, state-of-the-art garden with several varieties of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

“We’re super thankful for the Kern County Fair partnership,” Gallardo said. “They are huge pioneers of nutrition education for our students and the fair was super encouraging and supportive of the competition.”

Michael Olcott, CEO of the Kern County Fair, echoed Gallardo’s thoughts.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Blue Zones Project for this year’s Chopped Challenge,” he said. “We’ve always celebrated our rich agricultural heritage, and this event is a fantastic way to continue that tradition while inspiring our community to make healthier choices.”

The winning nutrition director took home a brand new chef’s knife, while the victorious student brought home an iPad and $250 in cash.

Congratulations to all the teams that participated:

• Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ nutrition director Rafael Juarez and North High School student Kira Ewings 
• Bakersfield City School District’s nutrition director Bobby Griffin and Shafter High School student Ryleigh Griffin
• Panama-Buena Vista Union School District’s Cook/Baker Jeanelle Jones and Stockdale High School student Simar Singh 
• Kern High School District chef Brandon Sullivan and Ridgeview High School student Hailie Burnett
• Greenfield Union School District’s nutrition director Josh Rodgers and Bakersfield Christian High School student Jake Goessman 
• Kern High School District Regional Occupational Center’s Chris Herstam and North High School student Wyatt Hillard