10 why are medjool dates so expensive Ideas

Susan Russo is a food writer in San Diego. She publishes stories, recipes and photos on her cooking blog, Food Blogga. When she isn’t writing about her Italian family back in Rhode Island or life with her husband in Southern California, she can be found milling around a local farmers’ market buying a lot more food than two people could possibly eat.

Endive, Orange and Date Salad

October 17, 200710:53 AM ET

Dates have an affinity for citrus, especially oranges. Combined with peppery endive, crunchy celery and toasty pecans, this is a salad that will brighten any meal.

Tip: To make slicing the Medjools easier, run your knife under hot water before slicing.

Makes 4 servings

Dressing

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Salad

6 radishes, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

3 Belgian endive, sliced cross-wise into circles (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 inner white stalks of celery with the leaves, thinly sliced on a diagonal

6 Medjool dates, pitted and slivered

1/4 cup toasted pecans, slivered

16 fresh mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

To make individual salad stacks, place radish slices in a circle in the middle of a plate. Then build up as you go, adding oranges slices, endive slices, celery slices and leaves, dates, pecans and fresh mint leaves. Repeat with remaining three dishes. Drizzle with dressing, and garnish with orange zest, celery leaves or mint.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Medjool Dates and Toasted Almonds

October 17, 200710:54 AM ET

Any type of winter squash would work well in this recipe, though I prefer the sweet and meaty varieties of butternut and acorn. Roasting the squash causes its natural sugars to caramelize. With sweet, chewy dates, spicy cinnamon and toasted almonds, you could practically call this dessert. OK, even I don’t believe that. Just eat this, then have a date shake.

Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup toasted slivered almond

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 cups cooked)

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 10 to12)

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

To toast the almonds, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden and aromatic.

Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place face down on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up) for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool. Scoop out the cooked flesh and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, saute shallots in butter until slightly caramelized. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cinnamon. Add the cooked squash and mix well by hand. (You can puree it at this point if you like, but I prefer a few lumps). Stir in the dates and heat through for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add toasted almonds, parsley, salt and pepper. Garnish with more almonds and parsley before serving, if desired.

Classic Date Shake

October 17, 200710:55 AM ET

If you find yourself driving along Highway 111, known as “The Date Highway,” in the Coachella Valley, then you will see dozens of billboards advertising “world famous date shakes.” Stop and get one. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re not planning on being on Highway 111, then here’s a recipe you can make at home. Though some date shakes are made with date sugar or date crystals, I prefer actual dates. Since Medjools have a thinner skin and plumper flesh, they’re ideal. Have a spoon nearby to scoop up any date pieces that fall to the bottom of your glass.

Makes 2 servings

10 Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

1 cup whole milk

2 cups vanilla ice cream

Place dates and milk in a blender; blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add ice cream and blend another 15 to 20 seconds on low so the ice cream doesn’t melt too much. It should be thick and frothy.

Date and Banana Breakfast Shake

I love date shakes for breakfast but not with ice cream. In fact, by adding some protein powder, you can turn this into a great post-workout drink.

Makes 2 servings

10 Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

2 cups skim milk

1 large very ripe banana

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

6 tablespoons protein powder, optional

Place dates and milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add banana, cinnamon and protein powder (if using). Blend another 15 to 20 seconds on high until thick and frothy.

Apple, Date and Ginger Snap Crumble

October 17, 200710:56 AM ET

To me, this homey date and apple crumble is like autumn in a bowl. Rich Medjool dates pair wonderfully with sweet-tart Fuji apples and plump golden raisins. The topping, made from crushed gingersnaps, shredded coconut and crunchy pecans, is just what the fruit needs. Some vanilla ice cream on top wouldn’t hurt either. Though dried dates could be used for such a dessert, I prefer the softness of fresh ones. If you do use dried, then I recommend softening them for a couple of minutes in some hot water before adding them to the apple mixture. I used six individual ramekins (5 inches wide by 2 inches deep), but this can easily be made family style in a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish.

Makes 6 servings

For the topping:

8 gingersnap cookies

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons), chilled and cut into small pieces

For the fruit filling:

5 to 6 Fuji (or Gala) apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks (about 4 1/2 cups)

1 cup fresh Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces (about 10 to 12)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat the ramekins with cooking spray, and place them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet to catch any drips.

To make the topping, add the ginger snaps and pecans to a food processor and process until coarse crumbs form. Pour gingersnap-pecan mixture in a large bowl and add brown sugar, flour, coconut and butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, blend until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the fruit filling, simply toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well by hand. Transfer the fruit to the ramekins (or pie plate) and add an equal amount of topping to each. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crispy.