Oddball veggies

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Tish --

Chayote is a form of Mexican squash. It's a sort of celery color outside, and

that really

pretty celadon shade inside. It sort of glistens, and it's slippery and satiny

and slick when

raw. Fresh ones have soft seeds you can cut through and eat. Old ones have

harder seeds

that need to be removed. When they're soft, they're sweet . . . they're a

creamier color

than the squash itself. It's hard to believe this is really a vegetable. It's

got the texture of

a denser Asian pear, and a light, very delicate flavor when raw -- kind of like

aloe, if

you've ever tasted that. When you cook it, it's still crispy but it's wetter

and slushier.

You can get big ones or little ones. A whole chayote could be as big as an

avocado, or as

small as a lemon. It's shaped kind of like a pear or avocado, but it's as

though nature took

it out of the mold early and it sort of melted -- folded in over onto itself.

The leek salad turned me into an unwitting artist. Slicing a leek and cooking

it 'til just

crisp tender brings out its lovely color and flavor. And putting it with fire

roasted red

pepper, walnut, and fat free feta with a balsamic mustard vinaigrette makes it

totally

lovely.

For the recipes, I just googled " chayote, " and this is the first one that

appears. There's a

whole bunch of interesting stuff at the website.

Here are the recipes:

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/102925?

id=102925&action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-

filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-

results.hts&queryType=and&keyword=chayote)

(I did not use the tangering dressing because it has fruit in it. I substitued

balsamic

dressing for Sherry vinegar.)

ROASTED CHAYOTE AND RED PEPPER SALAD WITH TANGERINE DRESSING

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

For dressing

2 scallions, chopped

1 fresh serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

5 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar

2 medium chayotes (1 lb total), peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded

2 medium red bell peppers (3/4 lb), quartered

2 heads Bibb lettuce, torn into small pieces

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Make dressing:

Whisk together scallions, chile, juice, oil, and vinegar in a large bowl and

season with salt

and pepper.

Make salad:

Cut chayote halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange in 1 layer

in two

thirds of a lightly oiled shallow baking pan. Put bell pepper quarters, skin

sides up, in

other third of pan. Roast in middle of oven, uncovered, until chayote is browned

in spots

and bell pepper skins are blistered, about 30 minutes. Immediately add chayote

to

dressing and toss to coat.

Transfer hot bell peppers to a small bowl. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, then

peel. Cut

bell peppers into 1/4-inch-thick strips and add to chayote with any pepper

juices

accumulated in bowl. Add lettuce and toss to coat.

Cooks' note:

• Chayote and bell peppers can be roasted and dressed 1 hour ahead and kept at

room

temperature. Add lettuce just before serving.

Each serving about 82 calories and 4 grams fat.

Serves 4.

Gourmet

January 2000

HERE'S THE LEEKS ONE:

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE WITH RED BELL PEPPER AND MINT

A colorful and unusual first course.

1 medium red bell pepper

4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Char bell pepper over gas flame or under broiler until blackened n all

sides.Seal in paper

bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop pepper.

Cut leeks in half lengthwise to within 1 inch of base, leaving base intact.

Rinse leeks under

running water. Add leeks to pot of boiling salted water; reduce heat and simmer

until

leeks are tender when pierced with knife, about 7 minutes. Drain; cool. Using

paper

towels, squeeze excess moisture from leeks. Cut leeks completely in half

lengthwise. Cut

off and discard roots. Cut leeks crosswise into 3-inch pieces. (Bell pepper and

leeks can be

prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)

Place leeks on platter. Whisk vinegar and mustard in bowl to blend. Gradually

whisk in oil.

Mix in bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon dressing over leeks.

Sprinkle

cheese, walnuts and mint over.

Serves 4.

Bon Appétit

April 1995

MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE USED RED WINE VINEGAR FOR THAT ONE. IF THAT WAS A

MISTAKE, I GUESS IT WASN'T A HORRIBLE ONE. YOU DON'T EAT MUCH DRESSING.

THIS IS PRETTY AND TASTY. I HAVE FRESH MINT GROWING IN MY YARD, BUT I FORGOT TO

PICK IT AND PUT IT ON HERE. IT WOULD EVEN HAVE BEEN BETTER WITH THE MINT.

I FOUND IT HERE: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/4457

HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE AS MUCH AS I DID.

ANNIE D.

>

> Hello Anne,

> I mostly lurk as I'm new to SB --- but I am interested in your veggie

experiments :-)

> What is chayote and how did you cook it? Also, can you share the leek salad

recipe you

really liked?

> thanks,

> Tish

>

> Plus, I learned a whole lot

> by buying oddball veggies such as chayote. And the leek salad was

FANTASTIC! A

recipe

> I'll use over and over now!

>

>

>