Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals

Not to worry…I won’t be giving you any advice on how to
behave on your first date with someone you hope is
special. What I will advise you about, though, is if you
are craving something sweet, you CAN find a special treat which is
both good for you and satisfying to your sweet tooth, as well. A
“date” is a fruit not to be resisted!
Where do we find dates? Dates are the seeds of a
palm tree. Many date palm trees do not bear fruit.
Those trees are male. Only female flowers turn into fruit.
Enough male trees must be kept on date plantations to
supply the needed pollen for the female flowers. This
type of tree is called dioecious. Before mechanization,
the date palm was pollinated by hand. Today, pollen
collected from the male flower is mixed with flour and
dusted over the open female flowers.
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifer) has been a friend
of all tropical desert tribes in Africa and the Middle East
(Mesopotamia) for over six thousand years. From the
date palm come hats, lumber, baskets, ropes, furniture,
and many other household items. Every part of the date
palm tree was put into good use, especially in ancient
times.
No other palm tree in the world can grow in the
hostile temperatures that the date palm can stand, such
as arid heat soaring between 100 to 120 degrees. The
climate is usually so dry that the palms must be well
irrigated, though the water is cut off while the fruit is ripening. The
full sweetness and flavor of a date can be developed only when the
plant is thirsty!
The fruit grows in a peculiar way under the leaves of the palm.
It hangs in heavy clusters beneath a tree that can grow as tall as 82
feet. The Arabs have a word for different stages of the fruit: Kimri
means unripe; khalal is the word used for full sized but crunchy fruit;
and when they are rutab, they are ripe and soft. When dates remain
on the tree to dry by the sun, they are said to be in the final tamr
stage of ripening. This is the stage most of us are familiar with,
where they are easily available in our local grocery stores for
purchase for snacking and baking. You will see them labeled as
medjool dates.
The Jews consider the date as one of the seven holy fruits, and
in the Islamic religion, the Prophet Muhammed is quoted to have
said that dates cure many disorders. He urged Muslims to eat the
date and tend the date palm tree.
Many regional Middle Eastern cuisines incorporate dates,
where their intense concentration of natural sugars makes them a
wonderful addition to any cuisine. Use dates for cooking or baking
or as a superb portable snack. Be sure to pick dates that are dense
and moist. Avoid those that form sugar crystals on the outside of
the date, as their flesh will be dry.
Dates are loaded with potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorous,
and magnesium. Dates are very high in carbohydrates, supplying
us with a quick energy boost. What is best of all is that dates taste
delicious and sweet. Once you enjoy your first food experience
with a date, you will certainly want a second “date” with this fruit.
Recipe of the Month
Date Nut Bars
Ingredients & Directions
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 cups chopped dates
2 cups chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg,
and brown sugar. Add butter and eggs; beat on low speed
for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Combine
dates and walnuts; stir into batter (batter will be stiff).
Spread into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden
brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife
around sides of pan to loosen; cool completely before
cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.