Guava Juice and Green Fig Pie

OK, two recipes for you straight from St. Lucia. I wrote these down after my host mom showed me how to make them. The first recipe is great as a sweet drink, and the second is best served warm, just after cooling from the oven. The second, "Green Fig Pie," is made with green bananas, which are almost exactly like potatoes. "Anything you can do with potatoes you can do with green figs," my host mom tells me repeatedly. The dish is pretty much a casserole. It's delicous.

Note: all measures are estimated! Use your own judgment and taste for these recipes.

Guava Juice

8 fresh guavas
3 limes
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups water

1. Wash guavas & limes thoroughly. Cut off black end of guavas, where the stem was attached. Quarter the guavas, blend on a low speed. Do not puree or liquefy—the seeds should be intact.
2. Juice limes well, as you are used to.
3. Pour blended guava into a strainer, a little at a time, over a large pitcher (with a tightly fitting cover is best). Use a spoon to press juice through strainer, leaving only the seeds behind. Scoop seeds into separate bowl to discard when done. Repeat with strainer and spoon until all juice is used.
4. Add strained lime juice, 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup water; mix well. Add more water and/or sugar as necessary to taste. Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. To keep fresh juice longer, pour into an emptied large juice bottle with lid.

Green Fig Pie

8 green figs (unripe or very green bananas)
1/2 cup mustard
1 cup grated cheese, set 1/3 cup aside (mild cheddar or similar is good)
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of that set aside
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp powdered nutmeg to taste
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water

Note: Use 1b if you have sensitive hands, or coat hands with oil before using 1a. 1a takes less time.
1a. Wash & peel green figs. Remove all green skin from peeled figs w/ knife. Place them i a large pot, cover with water. Boil 20-30 min, until soft. Let cool a little, then drain keep figs in pot.
OR
1b. Wash green figs, cut off both ends, place in large pot, cover w/ water. Boil 30-40 min. Let cool. Peel figs, discard water.
2. After figs are cooled drained, cut them w/ knife in a pot. Add mustard, cheese, bread crumbs, butter, salt, evaporated milk, water, nutmeg. Stir as you add each ingredient, mushing them up with the soft figs. Mixture should be reasonably solid, staying together for the most part, with plenty of moisture, but not runny or watery. Add water as necessary to achieve this consistency.
3. Grease large/med glass cooking dish (casserole dish) with butter or oil. Scoop fig mixture into dish, spreading it evenly on top.
4. Mix the cheese and bread crumbs previously set aside, sprinkle over the fig mixture. Use more of each if necessary to cover.
5. Heat in oven at 300 (or higher, the oven we used wasn't labeled, and the owner guessed it went up to 300. I'm guessing it goes higher than that) for 30 min. Check occasionally. Top should be golden brown, a little crunchy.