With small apples, I like to make a savory side dish, originally developed for a guest allergic to black pepper. I watched her eat a piece and then saw a look of horror come over her face. I reassured her that it did not contain cayenne pepper and she took a few more incredulous bites. Small apples work particularly well because the dish tastes better with lots of apple skin and tart fruit. Serve as a side dish with roast chicken or pork, or stuffed acorn squash. It also adds zip to tofu. I'm not sure if the weight of the ginger is correct--I just use a visual guide of one and one-half times as much ginger as garlic. If you are wary of the spices, go ahead and cut back. This is a hot and spicy dish without pepper.

Share: