Before beginning, allow me to extend a warm Ramadan Mubarak! (Ramadan Greetings) to all the readers of My Halal Kitchen. Thank you for your generosity and kindness in words and deeds in support of this site. May you all have a blessed month!

We can’t discuss food in Ramadan without first talking about the significance of the date fruit…

During a recent shopping trip, I saw several people buying those large, red boxes full of California Medjool dates—one of the earliest signs that Ramadan is fast approaching.

My dad first introduced them to me over a kitchen table full of board games and Sicilian snacks: pistachios, hazelnuts, dried figs and large, plump dates. He often joked with me that those were the only kinds of ‘dates’ I could have at the time. Little did I know then that this fruit would become a very significant part of my adult life and I’m so glad I grew accustomed to its taste when I was so young.

  While date palm trees, known as nakhl in Arabic, come from hot and dry climates around the world, it’s fruit (tamr in Arabic) is beginning to grow in popularity everywhere. The health-conscious consumer is looking to this bite-size snacking option as an alternative to other less desirable ones, thus re-discovering the date in all its varieties as an extremely beneficial addition to one’s diet. 

Dates are closely associated with Muslims, even though the palm tree has been around since pre-historic times and is also historically significant to many other cultures and religious groups.

In the Holy Qur’an, the precious date has been mentioned many times as a favorable food. For example, Mary, mother of Jesus, was ordered to shake the date palm tree when she was experiencing the pangs of childbirth in order to eat of the date fruit, thus relieving some of her pain. [1] 

  They were also consumed as a staple food of the beloved Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). He used to break his fast with fresh dates before praying; if there were no fresh dates then with dry dates, and if there were no dried dates, he would take a few sips of water. As a result, the Ramadan tradition of breaking the fast with dates has become a sunnah, or action of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), that Muslims readily follow. [2]

Regardless of one’s intentions for eating dates, they are known to be a great source of fiber that can be easily added to one’s diet. They are also high in the B-complex vitamins, magnesium and potassium- vitamins your body needs to eliminate toxins and build healthy bones.

Dates also contain naturally occurring sugars like fructose and glucose, giving your body a good deal of energy without the sugar crash that comes along with most unhealthy, sugar-filled foods. [3]

  How to Incorporate Dates into Your Diet: 

1. Top your cereal or oatmeal with chopped dried dates for added crunch and fiber.
2. Buy the seedless varieties and fill with whole almonds for a great on-the-go snack.
3. Chop and add to salads for a sweet addition to an otherwise savory plate.
4. Dip in heavy cream or yogurt and wrap in bread for a delicious snack
5. Remove seeds, dice and freeze dates for future baking projects

Dates are also the perfect baking fruit- they freeze well, don’t make your baking products soggy and add just the right about of sweetness to a dessert. Check out this tart recipe from one of my favorite and most-used cookbooks, Mediterranean: A Taste of the Sun in Over 150 Recipes by Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow.

Date and Almond Tart 

The original recipe calls for a homemade pastry dough. I have improvised, however, by suggesting you use a pre-made pie crust (preferably the Trader Joe’s brand) in order to save time. I’ve also made more specifications on the types of ingredients used.

 Filling Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie crust, defrosted in the refrigerator and kept chilled until just before use
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 7 Tb. caster sugar or brown sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 2 Tb. white whole-wheat flour
• 2 Tb. orange flower water (orange blossom water)
• 12-13 fresh dates, stoned and cut in half long ways
• 4 Tb. apricot jam

Directions

 1.      Preheat the oven to 400º F/200ºC. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

2.      Cream the butter and sugar until light, then beat in the egg.

3.      Stir in the ground almonds, flour and 1 Tb. of the orange flower water, mixing well.

4.      Roll out the pie crust onto a glass baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the pie crust.

5.      Arrange the dates, cut side down, on the almond mixture.

6.      Bake on the hot baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º F/180ºC. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until light golden and set.

7.      Transfer the tart to a rack to cool.

8.      Gently heat the apricot jam, then press through a sieve. Add the remaining orange flower water.

9.      Brush the tart with the jam and serve at room temperature.

 Bismillah and Buon Appetito!

[1] Surah Miriam in al-Qur’an, 19:23-26

[2] Book of Al-Sawm (Fasting), classed as Sahih by Albani in Sahih Abi Dawood, no.560 as narrated by Anas ibn Malik

[3] www.familynutritiononline.com