| « Punk Rock Corn Dogs? | Arcadia Ales Debuts New Packaging, Pours Some Damn Fine Beers » |
Drink Tue Apr 06 2010
Fresh Guava Squash
What do you do when you see an unfamiliar produce that looks and smells fabulous? Would you get it and hope that you'll figure out what to do with it later with the help from Google? Or would you walk away, and hope to get it when you actually know what to do with it? (This sounds a bit like Epimetheus vs Prometheus thing...) I can be either, depending on the level of motivation and adventurousness at the moment, but last Saturday, my inner Epimetheus won. It was mainly because the fresh guava was smelling too good to pass up. The Ping-Pong ball-sized yellow orbs had a few bruises and scratches, but they smelled so sweet and tangy--it was like there was a tiny sphere of the tropic right above the guava stand. So, without knowing what to do with them, I grabbed a dozen or so.
Once home, I looked up what to do with them. The consensus in the cyberspace seemed to be that guavas are edible raw, skin, seeds and all. Somebody mentioned a guava milk shake he had in Egypt. I almost drooled on the idea, but didn't have ice cream on hand, so I decided to make guava squash instead. Though I didn't have any recipe to rely on, it turned out fantastic--a perfect drink for the summery Saturday. This left me with enough fresh guava for another round, and I had a brilliant idea for that: add a shot of tequila. We had a beautiful bottle of Don Julio Añejo (a gift from a few years ago that we've been savoring slowly), so I added that to the squash. The result? It's pure danger in a glass. My husband proclaimed that he could drink two gallons of the stuff, and I had to agree. The alcohol balances out the sweetness nicely, and the slightly oaky flagrance of the Añejo added another layer of complexity to the drink.
Rumor has it that guavas are too fragile, lasting only a few days at their peak, for most grocers to carry without risking a small financial ruin. If you see fresh guavas that smell like guavas, pick them up while they last--I know I will. I bought mine at an Indian grocery store on Devon, but you may see them in Mexican markets, where they are known as guayabas.
FRESH GUAVA SQUASH (makes two glasses)
5-6 small guavas
1/4 cup water
1 16-oz can 7-Up
1 key lime
1 shot tequila (optional, but highly recommended)
Peel the guavas and dice them. In a bowl or a pitcher, combine with water and blend until mostly smooth. Add 7-Up, juice from the key lime and tequila, if using. Mix well and pour into glasses.
