Hot Dates

by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Temperatures in southeastern California’s Bard Valley hover around 120F on a summer afternoon. Hard on people, but great for dates.

Among the growers in the area, Jim Freimuth and Chris Neilson own the 175-acre Oasis Dates Gardens, one of the country’s top producers of organic dates.

But to get to the harvest requires constant attention to the date palms. In January, the thorns that grow along the base of each leaf frond are removed. Then pollen is collected from the male palm and transferred to the female plants by hand. When fruits form, they are thinned by hand. As the date bunches grow they need more protection—rings are placed in each bunch to spread the dates apart and provide more air circulation, and each bunch in covered by a pillowcase-like bag to protect it from insects and birds. Harvesting the dates requires three passes through the grove, as not all dates ripen at the same time.

Freimuth and Neilson harvested more than 2 million pounds of dates last year. They sell wholesale across the nation and have an active mail-order business as well. And such dates! Organic, sweet and irresistible, terrific dipped in honey, spread with soft goat cheese or rolled in cocoa nibs. For a real treat, try their exotic Barhis, which taste like caramels when eaten straight out of the freezer. Or make our easy Date Nut Tart (page 36)—a perfect ending to Thanksgiving dinner.

Date Nut Brown Bread

Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn

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Here’s a take on Boston Brown Bread: baked, not steamed, but with molasses and cornmeal like the original. The dates offer plenty of richness without any added fat—in other words, pure heaven. To make in cans, double the recipe and bake in 3 (4 1⁄2 cup-capacity) cans for about 1 hour.

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup unsulfured molasses
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, at room temperature
2⁄3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped

Instructions

1. Mix dates, milk, butter and molasses in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until butter melts and mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, and cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
3. Stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk the egg, sugar, and vanilla until blended well. Add to date mixture; stir well. Add pecans and flour mixture to date mixture; stir until well-blended. Spoon into prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Serves 12.

Recipe by Bruce Winstein and Mark Scarbrough, "Hot Dates," New American Farmers, November 2007.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 330 calories, 13g fat, 5g prot.,54g carbs., 4g fiber, 210mg sodium.

Baked Chicken with Dates

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Dates are a sweet accent even in savory dishes—the way dried cranberries or raisins often are. Look for plump, juicy, unsweetened dates in the produce section of most markets. Serve with couscous and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

12 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 1/2 pounds)
1 cup pitted dates, halved
1 cup sliced pitted green olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Mix chicken thighs, dates, olives, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Toss chicken mixture; pour wine over all and drizzle with honey. Bake uncovered, basting often, about 1 1/2 hours, until browned and fragrant. Serves 6.
Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, “Relish New American Farmers,” November 2007.

Date Nut Tart

Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn

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Have some low-fat frozen yogurt on hand to top off this sweet, irresistible dessert, a new take on old-fashioned pecan pie.

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) pie crust
1½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pitted dates
(do not use sweetened dates)
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place pie crust in a 9-inch tart pan (we used a 13-by-3½-inch pan). Place nuts and dates in crust.
3. Combine corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl; whisk well. Pour over dates.
4. Bake about 50 minutes, until puffed and brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 12.

Recipe by Bruce Weinsten and Mark Scarbrough, "Hot Dates," Relish New American Farmers, November 2007.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 280 calories, 14g fat, 4g prot., 38g carbs., 2g fiber, 210mg sodium.

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough are food writers in Colebrook, Conn.