Answer:
I'm not 100% on this, but wouldn't the variable be the amount of apples she had before her trip? Which would be 27.
Explanation:
If she went to the farmers market for 5 more apples, and the recipe calls for 32, lets call the amount of apples she had before the trip "x". We know that "x" is less than 32. We also know that she needed 5 more apples. So you could write something like x+5=32, and by solving for x, you get 27, because 27+5=32.
Like I said, i'm not 100% on this, but i'm pretty sure the variable is the amount of apples she had before her trip (27 or "x") Hope this helped!