Something New

I've always had an adventurous palate. One of my favorite things about traveling was discovering new foods. Alas, our traveling days are past and even venturing out to the many ethnic restaurants in our area is increasingly problematic. But I can still cook and try new things.  And chayote was on the menu last night.

I'd been under the impression that it was a kind of squash but it's actually more of a fruit from the gourd family. Also called mirliton in Cajun cooking or christophine in Caribbean cuisine, it grows on a vine and is edible raw or cooked.

Wanting to taste it without a lot of extra stuff, I cubed it and sauteed it with onions and garlic and served it as a side to a tilapia filet.

It was good--still crispish, soft inside, mildly sweet--kind of a cross between a unripe pear and a cucumber. I'll definitely seek out more recipes.