These cheese-filled dates make a piquant addition to a cheese platter. And the recipe can’t be easier: about 10 minutes of preparation should do it, then another 12 or so minutes in the oven. And – you can prepare the dates up to 24 hours in advance and have them ready to pop in the oven just as your guests arrive. Add a tray with small glasses and a bottle of arak, and you have a party. (Try our incredible arak and pomelo cocktail.)
On the family side, this is an indulgent snack for hungry people of all ages, especially those who have to wait for dinner. Serve with a small glass of buttermilk or refreshing aryan for great nutrition and that soothing, satisfied feeling.
It’s easy to understand why dates, coming from hot climates of ancient Mesopotamia, are loved throughout Arabic culture. Food historian Nawal Nasrallah, in Dates, A Global History, writes that the ancients claimed 360 uses for the date palm, including house construction, fences, thatching, irrigation pipes, among others. Nutritious dates have also been considered medicinal. That’s without what first comes to mind when thinking of dates: food. Date syrup, filling for cookies, poultry and meat cooked with dates, date shakes, and much more. And then, surprisingly – dates as an aphrodisiac. Grooms are advised to eat dates before the wedding, to ensure a lively night.
Browsing through her encyclopedic Delights From The Garden of Eden, I came across this romantic quote, where Poet Badir Shakir al-Sayyab compares his love’s eyes to date palms:
Your eyes are like two date-palm groves
at the time of dusk,
Or two balconies from which
the full moon is receding.
So to ensure happy nights, forget the blue pill and nosh up some dates. A little poetry on the side won’t hurt, either.
Dates Baked With Goat Cheese and Walnuts
An easy and unusual way to serve dates, as appetizer or snack.
- shallow baking pan
- sheet baking parchment
- small, sharp knife
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
- 24 Medjool dates
- 125 grams – 1/4 lb. soft goat cheese
- 12 walnuts
- Preheat oven to 375°F. – 180 °C
- Line a shallow baking sheet with baking parchment, or lightly oil it.
- Warm the olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and continue stirring until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Spoon the browned crumbs onto a plate and allow to cool.
- Make a small lengthwise incision in each date. Carefully remove the pits. Stuff 1 tsp. of the goat cheese into each pit-free date. Place the dates, cheese side up, in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top. (The dates can be prepared up to this point up to 24 hours in advance. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.)
- Bake the dates until warmed through, 10 to 12 minutes.
- In the meantime, chop each walnut in half.
- When the dates are warm and the cheese melting, press half a walnut onto the cheese.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.
