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Hi to all,

Thank you to all who responded to my question below..........followed by
a summary.

"I am gluten intolerant along with many other foods and therefore need
to vary my diet quite a bit.  I was wondering if any of you could tell
me what kind of vegetables chokos and swedes are?  Where might I find
them in the US?  And especially how to cook and enjoy them."

Pat in USA

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Swedes are the old-fashioned (and Australian) name for parsnips.
Chokos are chayote squash.  If you can't find them at the
market, he said you can use zucchini instead.
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Swedes - I don't know where to buy them in the US, but they are a turnip
like vegetable.  Cut off the top and peel.  They are great to add to a
vegetable soup, because they have quite a strong flavour, or to a baked
dinner.
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Swedes are rutabagas. Never heard of chokos.
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A swede is a rutabaga
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I don't know where you can get them in the USA but they are also known
as chayotes and another name is christophenes.
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   Swede is another name for rutabaga--maybe you've heard of them?  They
are related to turnips, but milder tasting, larger and with a light
yellow flesh.  They are usually sold with a thick layer of wax to keep
them fresh inside (you have to cut off the skin and wax before
cooking!).  Personally, I prefer to buy them from organic markets, where
you can find them smaller, smoother and unwaxed, at least here in New
York, where I live.  You can stew them in water, mash them into a puree,
roast in the oven, or cook in soups.  You don't say what part of the
country you live in, but I would imagine you would find them anywhere,
near the turnips, parsnips, and other wintery root vegetables.

    Choko is another name for what I usually call chayote.  It has a lot
of other names, including christophene, chocho, and mirliton.  It's used
especially in the West Indies, Mexico and Central America.  You should
be able to find it wherever immigrants from these areas shop (here in
Brooklyn, I find them all over!)  I understand you can also get them
sometimes in Chinese or Indian markets.

    Chayotes are related to squashes and pumpkins, but in a different
genus (in case you're on a rotation diet).  They look kind of like light
green pears.  I usually find them in stores each inside its own little
unsealed plastic bag, but maybe they come differently where you live.
The taste is mild, a bit like zucchini, or cooked cucumber, but it holds
its consistency better under long cooking.  They can't be eaten raw.
You can peel them and cut them up, then steam or boil them about 20 min.
I've read that Latin Americans like to stuff them (like peppers), but
I've never tried it.
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   Swedes are another name for turnips, that should be available just
about anywhere. My boss grew up in Scotland, ate them "too often", and
assures me that they are everyday turnips.
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I found these definitions in The Cook's Thesaurus, at
   http://www.foodsubs.com/
Briefly, the choko is called a chayote or mirliton, among many other
names, and the Swede is the rutabaga or yellow
turnip.

For recipes, go to your favorite cookbook, now that you know what you
have, or go online to the best all-around site,
IMHO, which is
   http://godzilla.EECS.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/

(Southern recipes would have lots for both these items. Northern
European recipes, from Great Britain to Russia, Poland,
etc., would have lots for the Swede; while Mexican, other Latin
American, or American Southwestern would have lots for
the choko. Try under their various local names to find the recipes you
want.)

chayote = cho-cho = chocho = christophene = christophine = chuchu
mango squash = mirliton (in theSouth) = pear squash
vegetable pear = sousous = choko = custard marrow = pepinella = xuxu
Pronunciation:   chi-YOH-tay or chi-YOH-tee  Notes:  This winter squash
looks like a wrinkled, pale green pear. Use it
like a summer squash, only allow a longer cooking time. Peel it if the
skin is tough. The large seed is edible and tasty.

Substitutes:  zucchini (stonger flavor, cooks more quickly) OR other
summer squash OR carrots OR bell peppers (for
stuffing)  Notes: For more information, see the Wegman's Food Market's
page on Chayote.

rutabaga = Swede turnip = Swede = yellow turnip
Substitutes: turnip (smaller, not as sweet; takes less time  to cook) OR
black radish (more pungent) OR celeriac   Notes:
For more information, see the Wegman's Food Market's page on Rutabagas.