Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Folks,

Thought I'd start a thread on things you've tried which are new to you, good or bad. Here's mine:

Christopher Ranch Roasted Garlic (jarred): I picked this up because (a) it was on sale, and (b) I wanted to make garlic bread. The minced cooked garlic in the jar would never be mistaken for a bulb you roasted yourself. However, as a garlic bread topping with olive oil and cheese, it worked pretty well. But then I tried using the rest of the jar a week later in a quiche, and you couldn't even taste the garlic. So, probably not recommended.

Your turn!

Okay. Chayote squash. I saw one for the very first time in Walmart here!
The only time I've ever had this was once in Costa Rica, it was really good.
However, I don't know how to prepare it. Anyone here have a method they like?

Linda,

Chayote squash can be used like summer squash, though it has a little more flavor, esp. the seed, and it doesn't turn soft and squishy as fast. I get them in the Asian market, as well as a Mexican grocer (occasionally available there), and have even seen them in supermarkets in recent years. I have put them in Thai curries, Indian curries, and many Mexican dishes (one of my favorites was in a chipotle sauce), as well, usually cut into cubes (no need to peel), and I have also sliced them and used them in stir-fries. I had a lot, the one year I grew them, but they eventually got squash vine borer, so I never did it again.

The seed is edible, as long as the squash is small, about 4" or less, but it eventually gets fibrous, then hard and inedible. Fortunately, the ones I see in the stores are always small.

Linda,

I'd recommend it for any Mexican dish which calls for cooked, diced zucchini. Weirdly, I recall eating them in Nepal as well, curried.

Chayotes Rellenos or Filled Chayotes was one of my favorite dishes as a child. They are filled with raisins and almonds and baked using the chayote as the shell. Really easy and good. Let me know if you'd like the recipe.