Chayote is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family along with melons, cucumbers and squash. Chayote Con Espinas is dark green in color and is completely covered in thorns. It has a crisp whitish flesh with high water content and subtle flavor.
Chayote is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lime or lemon. Chayote is a good source of potassium, vitamin C and folic acid.
I moved from NYC to California a couple of years back and was amazed by the fruit and vegetables I came across in various grocery stores, farmers markets and farm stands here in Southern California.
As with most things that catch my fancy, I started to photograph the vegetables and fruit I thought were interesting. I later decided to use these pictures as promotional material and started to shoot vegetables from A to Z sometime in June of this year. Most of the shooting is finished except for the letter U.
For my direct mail campaign I am sending one postcard a month beginning with Amaranth for the letter A. I wanted to use Amaranth to start the series because I thought it made for a beautiful beginning. But it was really hard to find good, fresh Amaranth that was worth photographing. Finally, I found an excellent bunch at an Indian grocery store.
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