No papaya or kohlrabi? Granny smiths will do the job in this crunchy Thai som tam salad. Plus a Bengali-style sweet-sour dal side and an unashamedly traditional apple and blackberry pud

Our orchards offer a bounty of apples in the autumn. Last year, I went apple picking and returned home with bags full of different varieties, each with their own nuanced flavour, texture and unique history, and I made industrial amounts of apple compote, which I froze to eat throughout the year. And I can’t resist fresh apples sliced into crunchy matchsticks and thrown into a salad, especially with something earthy such as kohlrabi. I have also discovered that tart fruit, such as bramley apples, are an excellent foil for a spicy dal, too. No apologies for yet another apple pudding – you simply can’t beat cooked apples, sponge and custard.