Escapees July-August 2024

EVANNE SCHMARDER is sure she got the wanderlust bug from her grandparents. In 2000, she and her husband, Ray, set o ff on their own adventure. Eighteen-plus years later, they’re still roaming the country, sharing interesting destinations and cooking up delicious RV kitchen recipes in their popular RV TV series, RVCookingShow.com. Good and Sweet Rich in minerals, fi ber and antioxidants, dates offer a guilt-free indulgence that promotes overall health and well-being. According to the Cleveland Clinic, incorporat ing dates into your diet can yield a multitude of bene fi ts for skin, gut, heart, bone and brain health while also serving as a potent ally in the prevention of chronic diseases. Additionally, despite their natural sweet ness and thanks to their abundant fi ber, dates are renowned for their low glycemic index, typically hovering around 42. This means that they have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels, helping to keep them stable over time. Dates on Your Plate There are many ways to introduce dates into your diet: • Make date paste, a healthy sweetener, by processing one cup of packed, pitted Medjool dates and ¼ cup of water in a food processor until smooth. Use it as you would use sugar, tasting and adjusting for your sweetness preference. • Slice through one side of a Medjool lengthwise, removing the pit and making a pouch. Stuff the date for an elegant bite. Try goat cheese, chopped pistachios, and drizzled honey; almond or peanut butter topped with a small chunk of chocolate; or a mixture of tahini, real vanilla extract and shredded coconut. • Do as Dr. Greger does at Nutrition Facts, pair the exotic with the every day, by savoring frozen barhi dates—small roundish fruits that can be eaten in all stages of ripeness, from semi-ripe tasting of cinnamon and coconut to a ready and ripe butterscotch fl avor—with a crunchy apple. You really can’t go wrong. Whether store bought or market-found, delicious dates will delight you.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL POLDA COURTESY OF THE CHINA RANCH DATE FARM

Dating Tips China Ranch DateFarm: When staying at the Pair-A Dice SKP park, in Pahrump, Nevada, take an hour drive to Tecopa, California, and marvel at the small, scenic desert oasis, which includes delicious dates and mature date palms. CHINARANCH.COM Sam Cobb Farm Tours: Located in Desert Hot Springs, California. Sam Cobb Farms (We Grow Good Dates) o ff ers an entertain ing farmer-led farm tour. You can also pick up some of their seven varieties of dates, including Black Gold. SAMCOBBFARMS.COM Date Shakes: Don’t miss trying a creamy, sweet date shake at any farm you visit. E ff orts to fi nd Shields Date Garden in Indio, California, will be richly rewarded. SHIELDSDATEGARDEN.COM

estimated 250 to 400 reported varieties worldwide, many grown on small farms overseas are unavailable to a global audience. Interestingly, a study in 1950 found 160 varieties of imported dates being commercially grown in the United States. However, by 2007, this number had dwin dled to only 16. Now, fortunately, American date farmers have re-introduced some of the earlier imported dates and, exclusive to US farms, have showcased more than 40 all-American varieties as well. Nine of those varieties are grown on a commercial scale. For example: • Halawy dates, fi rst brought to America in 1913 from Basra, Iraq, are chewy and golden and taste like caramel candy. • Zahidi dates are light amber in color with a crunchy outer shell, resembling crystal lized sugar. Their fl avor is described as nutty, buttery caramel. • Honey dates, one of the few grown initially from seed rather than offshoots, are creamy, soft and honey-tasting. There are only about 90 palms of this variety in theUS. • Black Gold dates, engineered at and exclusive to Sam Cobb Farms, are remi niscent of chocolate, caramel and dark cherry. On the rare occasion that you see a farm market stall selling an array of dates, take the time to discover their individual fl avors. Even if it is a bit spendy, bring a few home. It’s an opportu nity that doesn’t come along every day.

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ESCAPEES Magazine July/August 2024