FOOD TIP OF THE DAY: Date Hors d’Oeuvres
 Gourmet dates from Dateland.com. From left to right, counterclockwise: Medjool Dates, Khadrawy Dates, Halawi Dates and Honey Dates. |
For quick hors d’ouevres that are also perfect for tea parties, after-dinner petit four plates, or delicious with a cup of coffee instead of a cookie, fill dried dates with rich, creamy mascarpone cheese and dip the cheese end in chopped green pistachios. If there are any leftovers (not likely), they make great breakfast treats and midday snacks. Kids love them, too (they’ll also enjoy them stuffed with peanut butter). Dates are the oldest fruit cultivated crop by man. More than 30 varieties are grown today. The most famous to Americans is the Medjool, considered to be the finest variety grown—in ancient times, they were grown exclusively for royalty. Succulent and velvety, Medjool dates are fragile in nature and must be harvested by hand. They can cost 50% more than other varieties, so most people enjoy them for eating only, not for cooking or baking. | |
| Other familiar varieties include: - Halawi dates, medium sized and soft golden brown, with a rich, creamy sweet flavor and a caramel-like texture. Originally from Iraq, “halawi” means sweet. - Honey dates are a soft, creamy-textured and sweet-tasting variety that “melt in your mouth.” They are used for snacking and cooking. - Khadrawy dates, small, dark-mahogany colored dates with a dry, flaky skin. Originally from Iraq, they have a high moisture content and less sugar, with a mild flavor. - Thoori dates, originally from Algeria, are dry with a hard flesh and a chewy, nutty flavor. They are used for snacking, baking and cooking.Dates are mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible; in Biblical times the fruit was considered sacred. Today, they are a healthy sweet snack alternative: low in fat and sodium, high in fiber and magnesium, more potassium then bananas, rich in iron and cholesterol-free. Dates are grown in the U.S.—the Arizona climate is similar to many areas of the Middle East where dates are cultivated. You can buy quality domestic dates from Dateland.com. Stuff them with our favorite mascarpone, from Mozzarella Fresca. Find more ideas in the Hors D’Oeuvres and Snacks sections of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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