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A fun squash, chayote is now in season

Recipe: Chayote casserole could be holiday dish

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED OCT 20, 2019

Chayote has a large seed that must be removed. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Chayote are fun to grow. On trellises, the fruit dangles down for easy picking. Just watch out for any prickles when grabbing a vegetable pear.

Watch out for prickles when harvesting chayote.

The vines can grow 30 feet or more and will cover anything in their way -- such as an arbor or a garden shed. The squash arrives late in the season and keeps for up to a month in the refrigerator.

Native to the Caribbean, chayote is also known as mirliton squash. In Louisiana, it's a traditional part of Cajun and Creole Thanksgiving and holiday get-togethers.

Usually, I cook chayote as simply as possible. I split them open, pop out the over-sized seed and microwave them on a pie plate; cut side down first. (Don't bother peeling.) I zap them on high for 3 minutes, covered, then turn them over for another 3 minutes or until fork tender. (Big ones take longer.) Topped by cheese or butter, it's an instant side dish.

For upcoming holiday get-togethers (or any time there's an abundance of chayote), try this easy casserole. By steaming the chayote first, it cuts down on oven time and keeps the pretty green squash cubes from making the sauce soggy.

Chayote casserole

Serve 4 to 6

Ingredients :
3 large chayote squash, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken or vegetable broth granules
1 cup milk (1% fat or more)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To prepare chayote: Wash chayote and, with a sharp knife, cut in half lengthwise. Pop out seed halves. Peel squash and cube into 1/2-inch pieces. Steam cubed chayote until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make sauce. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and chicken or vegetable broth granules to make a roux. As the roux bubbles, gradually whisk in milk. Let the sauce thicken, stirring often. When sauce reaches desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.

Fold steamed chayote into sauce, then put the mixture in a buttered 8-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle grated cheese and bread crumbs over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and crumbs are golden. Serve warm.

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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