A friend of mine asked me if I realised that there are more than 1000 varieties of dates in the world, I had not until that moment thought about it. He asked this as I stuffed a third medjool date into my mouth. This same friend had just returned from the Middle East and was filling my head with tales of chocolate covered dates, rich date stews and presentation boxes of sweet almond stuffed dates. It was he who brought the very welcome gift of the medjool dates back from his travels.
Our conversation got me thinking of the sweet intense flavour that only dates can impart. They are a natural sweetener and work wonders on the digestive system. Dates are used to break the fast after Ramadan and so are embedded in the Muslim culture. The same friend described seeing oasis filled with date palms in the desert, where the fronds stretched high into the hot, blue sky and the heavy sagging bunches of dates are left on the tree until they are bright yellow and ripe for picking. Although the exact origin of the date palm has been lost in time it is known to have been used in the construction of temples in Southern Iraq as far back as 4000 BC.
Dates are called nature's toffee for good reason, they are one of the sweetest natural foods I know. They are also a great way of helping you get over that mid-afternoon slump. A date is full of fiber and provides our bodies with energy and natural goodness, as well as potassium, magnesium and calcium. I like using sweet ingredients in savoury cooking so I love combinations such as sweet dates in a bitter winter salad. The bitterness of winter leaves mixed with perhaps a creamy goats cheese and slices of date all work to create a tasty meal. Medjool dates wrapped in bacon and quickly popped under the grill are a great pre dinner snack. They have all the saltiness of the bacon and it bounces of the sweet sticky dates and works so well. You can stuff the canapes with a sliver of blue cheese before wrapping them in bacon for an extra rich and flavourful hit.
The date chutney below is wonderful served with a sharp cheese. It will last for many months in the cupboard, in fact it is best to rest it for a month after it is made to let all the flavours blend and the vinegar mellow.
Dates wrapped in bacon
10 medjool dates de-stoned
5 thinly cut rashers, all cut in half lengthways
Wrap the bacon around a date and secure with a cocktail stick. Place it on a wire rack. Do the same with all of your dates and then place them under a medium grill for just a few minutes until the bacon starts to crisp. Turn the canapes around until they are completely cooked.
Date and apple chutney
900g red onions finely chopped
90g fresh ginger , grated
540ml red wine vinegar
2100g eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
350g pitted dates, chopped
350g raisins
2tbsp mustard seeds
2tbsp curry powder
700g brown sugar
2 tsp of salt
Put the onions in a large pan with the ginger and vinegar and bring to the boil. Then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the salt to the pan and bring to the boil, keep stirring. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the apples are tender.
Stir in the salt and cook, uncovered, until the chutney is thick and jammy, about 15-20 minsute. Taste a little and see if it needs any more seasoning.
Leave the chutney to sit for about15 minutes, then spoon into warm, steralised jars, and seal tightly.
Remember to keep the chutney for at least a month before eating to allow the flavours to mellow.
FOOD