Choko/Chayote

These vigorous producers have a bad rep in New Zealand, Ellen Schindler says. “Apparently many people were fed choko that were cooked to obliteration, served with white sauce, by their mothers. Give it another go. All it needs is an opportunity to climb. Send it up a tree and it will reward you with hundreds of fruit.” In warmer regions they can be perennial if you protect the roots – or keep a few to sprout the following year.

Choko keep their crunchiness even after being fried for a while, “so they make excellent additions to soups, stir-fries and chutneys or ferment them kimchi-style,” she adds. “My friend slices them finely, seasons and bakes them into crispy chips. A bonus is that you can prune the last 12-15cm ends off the vine tendrils and use in a stir-fry.”