Chayote squash, the pear of vegetables, found in Petaluma

Becoming known as the “new” edamame, or the new “superfood,” fresh green garbanzo beans should be on your must-try list. Sold in their soft, slightly fuzzy green shells, green or fresh garbanzos are unique, a vegetable that I believe most of us have never actually tried.

If you have only ever had garbanzos that are canned or dried, you might even think you don’t like this wonderfully nutritious legume. You may not have even known that they came any other way than beige. But the green ones are very different – not mealy at all, but very sweet and tasty, rather like the best of fresh green peas in the pod.

So what do you do with them? They are easy to shell, but it is a bit of labor to do it. I have a husband who enjoys this task while watching TV. There are usually only one or two beans per little pod. After they are shelled I blanch them in boiling salted water very briefly, just until they turn a brighter shade of green, then rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking.

From there you can store them up to a week in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them, or you can freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and once frozen, package them in a zippered plastic storage bag.

A quick sauté to heat them through before eating is all you need. You can use olive oil and a bit of chopped green onion or garlic, or butter for the sauté.

Another great idea is to use the blanched green garbanzos in place of avocado to make a super-healthy guacamole-type dip. Puree the beans in a blender or food processor, add chopped cilantro and chopped onions, lime juice and salt, and you will have an amazing dip.

If you enjoy hummus, try making your favorite recipe using green garbanzos instead of dried or canned beans. You will be smitten with the difference in flavor.

If you want everyone to peel their own, consider sautéing them in the shells in a cast iron pan over a very high heat until they are lightly charred. Cool slightly, toss with coarse or kosher salt, and let everyone have a portion to peel and pop in their mouths as a tasty snack.

I enjoy making tartines with toasted homemade sourdough bread, homemade ricotta cheese, and a topping of blanched green garbanzos. Drizzled with some of the local olive oil available here in Petaluma, and finished with some snipped chives and other herbs, you have a lovely dish that can be served at any meal.

As spring vegetables come into the market place, consider adding green garbanzos to a classic pasta primavera, or use them in place of fresh green fava beans. However you cook them, I believe this unusual vegetable will entrance you.

Locally, you can find garbanzo beans at Lola’s Market.

Chayote Squash

Also known as mirliton or a vegetable pear among a number of other names, this vegetable is somewhat pear-shaped, and the ones we usually see are smooth and very pale green.

One bit of really good news about this vegetable is that you can buy it when you see it, as it will store very well for weeks, lightly wrapped and refrigerated. In addition to finding them at Lola’s Market you may find them at other stores featuring Hispanic or Asian groceries.

If you want to try growing them, you should know that the flowers of this hardy vine are nectar-rich and known for producing excellent quantities of honey.

Here are some ideas of what to do with chayote squash. They can be prepared the same way as many of your favorite summer squash recipes, but the flesh will take a bit more cooking, which also means they take a bit more abuse in terms of holding their shape in things like creamy and cheesy gratins. You can use them in a potato gratin to lighten it up, substituting half blanched chayote for half of the blanched potatoes.

You should not eat them raw but they can be lightly cooked, and then thinly sliced for use in a salad. They can be halved and stuffed and then baked. They make a nice cream soup, one that tastes great with tiny bay shrimp in it, finished with fresh dill. You can even use them as a substitute for apples in a pie.

If you need a few recipes for using Chayote Squash, email me and I will be happy to help.

Here is a recipe I created recently that even my non-vegetable-enjoying husband liked:

Chayote Squash ?Southeast Asian Style

Makes a lovely side dish, or you could even serve it as a light main course with rice.

1 tablespoon salad oil

4 ounces ground turkey or pork

1 large chayote squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

3 green onions, sliced crosswise into thin slices

2 tablespoon Nuoc mam (Asian fish sauce)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Red chili flakes to taste (optional)

Salt to taste

Blanch squash for 8 minutes in boiling salted water until just barely tender. Time will vary depending on the size of your squash and how you cut it, so test often.

Brown ground turkey or pork in a pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients. When it is lightly brown, add the green onions and sauté briefly, then add the blanched squash, fish sauce, and ginger and stir cook briefly. Finish with the lemon zest, mint and cilantro, and season to taste with the red chili flakes if you are using them, and salt as needed.

If you desire a heartier main dish you can increase the amount of meat and seasonings, and let the chayote squash play a supporting role instead.

Local honey

I recently met a lovely couple, Cathy and Jon Yargar who keep bees on their property in West Petaluma. At the time they had two honeys available, one very dark in color that they said was lavender and cherry blossom honey, and the other which was very light clear amber color and was the result of the bees feeding on the local mustard flowers.

I got some of each, and they are so delicious. If you are interested, you can email Cathy at yargerhoney@gmail.com and make arrangements.