Date Dishes Missoula MT

Health Matters—The Dating Game

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By Lisa Turner

Earthy yet exotic, sweet but solid. Now doesn’t that sound like a perfect date? And you can pick this one up any time you’d like … at your local grocery store.

The fruit of the date palm tree, native to the Middle East and northern Africa, is thought to have been cultivated as early as 4,000 BC. Dates remain popular in Arabic and Moroccan cuisine, where they show up in sweets, chicken dishes, and tagines.

Dates come in a variety of sizes and flavors. The most common in the US is the deglet noor, a medium-sized, somewhat dry variety sold in most grocery stores—a not particularly exotic version that perks up fruitcakes and banana bread. More appealing are the succulent barhee, a light brown, moist, and exceptionally sweet variety; the massive medjool; and the halawy, a smallish, golden-hued variety that has a flavor reminiscent of fresh caramel.

Dates are rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, especially potassium; ounce for ounce, dates have more potassium than bananas and more selenium than spinach. When purchasing dates, look for moist, plump dates that have a fruity aroma, and store them in a dark, cool place, in a tightly sealed container. Try these simple suggestions for the perfect Friday-night date:

Stuff medjool dates with raw almonds and a smear of goat cheese. • Coarsely chop deglet dates, and add them to a salad of frisée, pomegranate seeds, and roasted hazelnuts. • Put dates and walnuts in a blender to make a thick paste, roll into balls, and coat with dried coconut flakes.

Author: Lisa Turner

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