Not just another pretty garnish, kiwifruit are delicious on their own and fairly bursting with all sorts of healthy substances, including a good dose of vitamin E. Harvested in late fall, the organic variety from California is ripe and ready by winter and available through spring. Michael Huynh of Tribeca’s Mai House uses them in this variation on the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce nuoc cham, below, and serves it with salt-and-pepper cuttlefish. It goes well with just about anything, especially grilled meats, chicken, and fish. --Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite

Ingredients

5 kiwifruits
1 Thai (or bird’s eye) chile
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce, or to taste (available in most Asian markets)
2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste, depending upon the sweetness of the kiwifruit
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

(1) Cut the kiwifruit in half and scoop out the flesh. (2) Purée the flesh and seeds in a blender or food processor and transfer to a bowl. (3) Chop the chile and add to the purée along with remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. (Published 2007)