Basic Chayote

To prepare chayotes as a simple side dish, you can either bake them or sauté them, depending upon what the rest of the meal will be. Unadorned, chayote has the sweet freshness of very firm cucumber, with a touch of yellow-summer-squash flavor. For variety you can add garlic, shallot, or onion to the general recipe that follows, then finish it off with a touch of fresh herbs (such as chives, chervil, marjoram) or toasted, buttered bread crumbs or grated cheese.