Chayote Squash and Potatoes

The way I plan my meals might give some of you anxiety. Or might inspire some of you!

  1. I wander the produce section and pick out interesting fruits and veggies.

  2. I go to the meat section and find something on sale.

  3. I google ideas, figure out ingredients I already have at home, and come up with my own recipe.

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This week, I grabbed chayote (pronounced chi-yote). It originated in Mexico and is a type of summer squash, but is technically considered a fruit (like a tomato). Chayote squash looks like and has the crunchy texture of unripe pear, yet it has an almost cucumber-like flavor. I had never tried it before and was excited to see what I could create. I also found a large portion of Steelhead Trout for $7. Wade is in charge of cooking the meat, so he will have to let you in on his culinary secrets! But it’s usually cooked on a smoker or rotisserie.

I quickly googled ideas while I was in the store, I knew I had some potatoes at home and don’t use my mint plant enough, so I was excited to find a recipe that used the two! After a few tweaks, here’s a SUPER EASY recipte I came up with.

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Ingredients

  • 1 chayote

  • 3 red potatoes

  • 1 large shallot

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 1 tbsp fresh mint, coarsely chopped

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • to taste black pepper and salt

Cut the chayote and potatoes in half, then thinly slice them. There is nothing to discard of the chayote, every part of it can be eaten. Peel and slice the shallot as well. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic.

Pour the olive oil into a large saute pan, placed over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the potatoes, chayote, garlic, and shallots. You know the oil is hot enough when you drop a small drop of water into the oil and it sizzles and bubbles.

Saute all the ingredients, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are well cooked and golden brown. Add pepper and salt to taste. I used the gourmet salt my friends bought me during their trip to South America. Place the contents in a serving bowl and mix in the mint. Serve immediately.

Katrina Hutchison