BLACK BEAN NACHOS

                        FOR NACHOS:
                        Corn oil
   2                    Flour tortillas (8")
   2                    Chorizo or spicy sausage
   1      cup           Black bean pesto
   1      cup           Monterey jack cheese -- shred
   2      tablespoons   Chopped cilantro (coriander)
                        FOR BLACK BEAN PESTO:
   8      ounces        Dried black beans
   1      quart         Water
   1                    Bay leaf
   1                    Ham hock
   2                    Jalapenos -- seeded
  20      milliliters   Garlic
                        Stems from 2 bunchs of
                        Cilantro (fresh coriander)
                        Salt/fresh ground pepper

For Black Bean Pesto:

Rinse and drain beans thoroughly. Place them in a large saucepan or soup kettle and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove and discard ham hock and bay leaf. Using slotted spoon, transfer
bean mixture, in batches, to the bowl of a food processor. Process, adding cooking liquid as necessary to form a smooth, thick paste. You will use a total of about 1 cup liquid.

Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the salt and pepper if needed.
Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Will keep in fridge for 2-3
days.

Nachos:

Preheat oven to 375F. Fill a heavy skillet with 1/2" corn oil. Heat it
until oil just starts to move. Then fry the tortillas, one at a time,
until light golden brown, about 15 seconds on each side. Drain on paper
towels.

Slice chorizo into 1/4" thick rounds and saute them in a small skillet
until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and drain on
paper towel.

Place tortillas on baking sheet, and spread pesto evenly over them.
Arrange sausage over pesto and sprinkle with cheese. Top with chopped
cilantro.

Bake until brown, 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut each tortilla into eight pieces. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese Spread

     1/2  cup           Walnut pieces
     1/2  cup           Maytag, Oregon
                        Danish or bleu cheese
     1/4  cup           Cream cheese
   1      teaspoon      Cognac
   1      teaspoon      Minced walnuts -- for garnish

  Process the walnuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped, using short pulses to avoid overprocessing. Add the blue cheese and cream cheese, and process until they are thoroughly combined. Add the cognac, process until well mixed, and then transfer the mixture to one large or two small ramekins. Sprinkle with the minced walnuts, and serve.