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Photo: Andrea Mathis
Active Time:10 minsTotal Time:20 minsServings:4Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:10 minsTotal Time:20 minsServings:4
Active Time:10 mins
Active Time:
10 mins
Total Time:20 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:4
Servings:
4
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
For almost a decade I knew that if it was mid-August, it was time to make my annual trek from Martha’s Vineyard down to the Caribbean with my suitcase filled with more than the usual amount of gold jewelry, eyelet slips, traditional Creole dresses and Madras head ties, along with the business-related notes and other impedimenta that are a part of my life. First, there were meetings in Barbados, where I consulted for a hotel chain. Work done, I was off on an island-hopping flight to Guadeloupe for the Fête des Cuisinières.
Guadeloupe’s annual feast of the women cooks is like nothing else in the region: a daylong celebration of the glories of French-style Creole food and the women who cook it. The day begins with a high mass at the cathedral with all the members present of the Association des Cuisinières and the Mutuel Cuistot: two century-old mutual aid organizations that are guardians of Guadeloupe’s culinary patrimony. The women, who range in age from their 20s and 30s to nonagenarians and centenarians and are the true guardians of the island’s culinary heritage, are all dressed in full Creole finery complete with aprons hung with miniature whisks, pots and pans. Their aprons are decorated with a grill, the symbol of St. Lawrence, their patron, who was martyred on the grill.
Soon, the political speeches are over, and the meal is served. Usually there are codfish fritters and other traditional nibbles to start the feast and the main dishes are an assortment of curries (called colombos in Guadeloupe) served with rice. I always hoped to find the summer-perfect salad of the shaved squash that is known in Guadeloupe as christophine. (It is also known as chayote in Mexico and parts of the U.S., chocho in Jamaica, xuxu in Brazil and mirliton in New Orleans and elsewhere in Louisiana.) The slippery coolness of the salad is always the perfect counterpoint to the spiciness of the curries and a welcome antidote to the heat of the day.
After the rum has flowed, it’s off to the dance floor for an afternoon of dancing the beguine, the music and dance that was at home here long before Cole Porter heard it. All too soon, the party is over and it’s time to head to my girlfriend’s home to fix another ti punch and worry about where to go for dinner.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients2medium chayote, peeled and seeded (see Tip)2tablespoonsred-wine vinegar¼cupextra-virgin olive oil½teaspoonDijon mustard¼teaspoonanchovy paste1head Bibb or Boston lettuce1tablespoonminced red bell pepper
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
2medium chayote, peeled and seeded (see Tip)
2tablespoonsred-wine vinegar
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
½teaspoonDijon mustard
¼teaspoonanchovy paste
1head Bibb or Boston lettuce
1tablespoonminced red bell pepper
DirectionsUsing the large holes of a box grater, grate chayote. Place the grated chayote in a clean cotton towel (not terry cloth) and squeeze tightly to release excess liquid. Transfer the chayote to a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard and anchovy paste in a small bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the chayote; toss well to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.Arrange lettuce leaves on a medium platter. Top with the marinated chayote and garnish with bell pepper. Serve immediately.TipChayote squash are small, pear-shaped squash with a mild, sweet taste. To peel and seed them, cut a thin slice off each end and use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. With a sharp knife, quarter the squash, then slice off the white center and the seed.EatingWell.com, August 2021
Directions
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate chayote. Place the grated chayote in a clean cotton towel (not terry cloth) and squeeze tightly to release excess liquid. Transfer the chayote to a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard and anchovy paste in a small bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the chayote; toss well to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.Arrange lettuce leaves on a medium platter. Top with the marinated chayote and garnish with bell pepper. Serve immediately.TipChayote squash are small, pear-shaped squash with a mild, sweet taste. To peel and seed them, cut a thin slice off each end and use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. With a sharp knife, quarter the squash, then slice off the white center and the seed.
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate chayote. Place the grated chayote in a clean cotton towel (not terry cloth) and squeeze tightly to release excess liquid. Transfer the chayote to a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard and anchovy paste in a small bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the chayote; toss well to combine. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a medium platter. Top with the marinated chayote and garnish with bell pepper. Serve immediately.
TipChayote squash are small, pear-shaped squash with a mild, sweet taste. To peel and seed them, cut a thin slice off each end and use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. With a sharp knife, quarter the squash, then slice off the white center and the seed.
Tip
Chayote squash are small, pear-shaped squash with a mild, sweet taste. To peel and seed them, cut a thin slice off each end and use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin skin. With a sharp knife, quarter the squash, then slice off the white center and the seed.
EatingWell.com, August 2021
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)143Calories14gFat5gCarbs1gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
