Honour the guava with blue cheese and chilli

Andre Burgener has been immersed in all things food since she took over the making of the family's lunch box sandwiches aged eight (her mom could make a mean creme brulee and a staggering souffle, but could never butter the bread all the way to the edges.

THE MIGHTY GUAVA

I SEE guavas, now in full season, flying out of the greengrocer, so apparently people must like them. But have you ever been to someone's house and been served anything they've made with guavas? Anything? Well, maybe a fruit salad.

This is where all the guavas go, I think. Nothing wrong with fruit salad, but if all the other fruits in that salad are allowed to flirt about in tarte tatins, chutneys, whips and cakes on their other work-days, why not guavas?

I so fondly remember the guava cobbler we had for school lunches. It was one of the few things the school kitchen could produce well, and we fought over it like feral dogs (the fact that my friend once found an electric plug in the accompanying custard jug notwithstanding). Guavas are native to central America and the West Indies, but somehow, like mealies, they feel like ours. The fantastic aromatic quality (which is what repels some people) is due to an essential oil, eugenol, which is also found in cloves, and which gives the fruit a smell version of umami.

Before you throw them all into the fruit salad again, here are some other ideas to see you through the season. You might even find yourself serving them to visitors.

Guavas with grilled blue cheese and black pepper

An amazing dessert/cheese course combination. Try it before you scoff. The heady fruit is born to be eaten with the pungency of these cheeses. Go for something creamy and mild though; even guava will be felled by a very hectic blue.

At the risk of doing a Pippa Middleton entertaining instruction on you, slice well-ripened guavas, crumble cheese generously on top, grind black pepper over and place under grill just until cheese starts to soften and warm. Real maple syrup is quite nice here (but only real). Eat post-haste.

Guava, orange and chilli salsa

Seriously good with barbecued chicken, pork or sweet potato. You can be casual with amounts; go by taste.

For two: 2 really firm guavas, chopped small / 2 oranges, peeled, pithed, cut in small segments / tablespoon dhania (coriander) leaves chopped / grinding salt / tablespoon lime juice / teaspoon chopped chilli (or to taste) / teaspoon sugar.

Mix everything and leave to settle for 30 minutes or so.

Brown sugar guavas with ice cream

Obscenely delicious. For each person, one guava cut into wedges, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 dessertspoon dark brown (treacle) sugar, 1 tablespoon cream.

Melt butter in thick-bottomed pan. Add guavas and cook until softening. Add sugar and cream, and mix well to dissolve. Let sauce thicken enough to cling and coat guavas. Serve immediately with the best vanilla ice cream (no other flavour will do).