Trying a New Apple + Tangy Apple Slaw Recipe

Sometimes apples are the star of the show - think apple pie, apple cake, applesauce, and apple dumplings. So many dishes revolve around the excellence of the apple, it's easy to forget what an accommodating supporting player a crisp and sweet apple can be.

Recently, Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, Washington, sent me a sample of a new apple variety called Pinata. The red and yellow fruit is a cross between two European favorites, Cox's Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg, and an American tried-and-true, the Golden Delicious. Pinata is a high-sugar, high-acid, versatile apple, suited for eating out of hand (although I peel the slightly thick skin first) and like its ancestor the Golden Delicious, ideal for cooking.

Pinata apples will be available in stores from right about now through April. While looking for ways to  highlight the versatility of the Pinata apple, I remembered how good apples are in a supporting role, lending sweet notes and crispiness to a salad or mellow flavors and textures to a braised dish. The first recipe I made was inspired by a new cookbook that happened to arrive the same day as the apples - "Welcome to Claire's" by Claire Criscuolo (Lyons Press, 2012). It's a vegetarian cookbook packed with great ideas for fresh produce. I adapted a recipe for "Connecticut Cole Slaw" to ingredients I had on hand - the cabbage, the apples, dried cranberries and pecans. The slaw is delicious and light, just right for light lunch or as a side dish to a sturdier meal.

Slaw with cabbage, apple, pecans and dried cranberries
adapted from "Welcome to Claire's" by Claire Criscuolo (Lyons Press, 2012)

1/2 head green cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 medium crisp and sweet apple, such as Pinata
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey (to make this a vegan dish, use agave nectar)
Salt and pepper


1. In a medium bowl, place cabbage. Peel apple and slice into 1/4-inch matchsticks. Add cranberries and pecans.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, olive oil and honey. Pour dressing over slaw ingredients and toss together. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in covered container in refrigerator.

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