Save the world/Friday Shootout: What am I?

I usually don't deep fry my spring rolls, you can if you wish.



If you just like a quick dish, thinly slice the choko, add a little green and red capsicum, carrot for colour. Stir fry with a little water. You could use onion, garlic or cook with chicken, pork slices.



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"The theme for August 20th is "What Am I?"
One, two or three mysterious photos of something in your town. Something that will not be readily recognized. We shall all have fun guessing what it may be. And I am suggesting that you schedule on your blog the whole picture of the "What Am I?" on Sunday. (so we all can check back and see if we guessed right!) I know this theme is different than what we have ever done. Hoping it will be something new and fresh and get us out there shooting and thinking.

Happy Shooting!!
Posted by Doreen

This is a choko.

In New Zealand, there are plenty of chokos. Sadly they are gone to waste because people do not know how to use them.

This is the fruit of the choko plant, in case you are wondering what a choko is. It is similar to a marrow, but has very prickly skin. It also has a sap that makes you itchy. But this one I am showing you has no prickles, and no sap.

As a friend of the Zero-waste of the NGATI WHATUA O ORAKEI and Save the world campaign, I was very happy to support my colleagues Keren and Nicole in their Crops for Christchurch.

I told my friend April what a fantastic job Pt Chev had done, and she kindly gave me a big bag of chokos. She told me that these were good ones, no prickles and no sap and very tender. I happily lugged them to school, and promoted them as organic and no prickles. Sadly, only one person bought one.

Most asked the theme of this week's post "What am I?" or how do I cook it?"

I told my principal I will take them home and cook them and bring them to school for the staff to sample them. I went to the butcher and bought some beef to cook a beef and choko curry. An idea came, what if they didn't like it and it would waste my beef.

So I came up with this idea. A vegetarian spring roll made with long shredded choko as part of the ingredients. There, if more people eat the choko, I have saved part of the world.

What's the verdict, the proof is in the eating, My teenaged son ate the spring rolls without asking, "What is in it?" or "Why is this different?"

Now to answer what is choko?
an alternate name for Chayote, a green vegetable of the gourd family.

The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as christophene, vegetable pear, mirliton, alligator pear (South Louisiana), choko, starprecianté, citrayota, citrayote (Ecuador and Colombia), chuchu (Brazil), chow chow (India) güisquil (Guatemala, El Salvador), or pear squash, iskus (इस्कुस) (Nepal) is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.

The chayote fruit is used in both raw and cooked forms. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. It can also be eaten straight, although the bland flavour makes this a dubious endeavor. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.

The tubers of the plant are eaten like potatoes and other root vegetables. In addition, the shoots and leaves can be consumed, and they are often used in salads and stir fries, especially in Asia.

The Chinese like this and call it the praying marrow. They often used it to worship the Goddess of Mercy, as she is a vegetarian. It looks as though a person is grasping his palms and praying.

Please peel the skin and remove the seed.