Yuma Yum: Medjools Rule Fall Food Bash

Make a date with dates -- lots of 'em -- and take a tour of a farm or two.

EVERY KIND OF DISH: There are only so many ingredients and flavors in this world that can easily move among both savory and sweet dishes. Most tastes soundly land on one side of the fence, either appearing in a dessert or the main course (and never the twain shall meet). But then there are those golden chameleon-like stars of the pantry and refrigerator that have proven to be most versatile. Peanuts? The crunchy favorite can go into a stir fry or atop a sundae. Rice? It can cameo in a casserole or in a pudding. Maple syrup? It's perfect atop whipped cream-topped pancakes or as a deepening agent in a stew. Add to this lofty list the medjool date, which makes both meaty presentations and frosting-laden cakes something more magical. The fact that these chewy, sticky fruits can also be stuffed with practically anything -- hello cream cheese, hello walnuts -- further elevates their already elevated profile. They absolutely deserve their own daylong party, and medjool mavens should get a further peek into how this old and fabled fruit comes into being. Ready to celebrate this good-in-all-things edible? Then make for Yuma...

ON SATURDAY, NOV. 15: The sun-warm city honors one of its biggest crops with a day of garden tours in the Bard Valley, chefs showing the many ways the capsule-shaped fruit can be cooked, and, you got it, the eating and enjoying of medjools.  "Free coffee and medjool dates" will be given to the first 1,000 people to show, which is nice, but suddenly we're pondering how that is an excellent combo, too -- the richness of the coffee bean and the honeyed viscosity of the date. Oh, medjools, you can show up anywhere, alongside any beverage or food, and still be the star. We'll see you in Yuma, and, yep, we'll be looking for walnut-stuffed dates. Because walnut-stuffed dates are a crisp fall day? That, in the realm of great pairings, has no equal.

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