Date crystals and Barhi Dates from Shields Date Gardens

7 years ago

We tried to go to Oasis Date Gardens in Thermal when we were passing through between Indio and Anza Borrego, but they were not open when we were there, and so I bought dates at Shields instead, where we also had breakfast and dinner our last night in Indio. At Shields, I bought a 1# assortment of dates and 1# of Medjool dates, because I was familiar with them. However, from the assortment of dates, I learned that I very much prefer Barhi dates, and so I tried to order some from Oasis (cheaper than Shields), but they were sold out, and so I ordered a 3# box from Shields. Since I was already paying shipping, I decided to order a 3# box of date crystals (Oasis does not have this), and so now I am having to decide how to use them. Shields uses date crystals to make their date shakes, and so I will do that, but I thought perhaps others of you may have other ideas as well. Shields also included a few of their own recipes.

Here's how Shields Restaurant looked at dinner:

and here's how the store looked in the morning:

As a side note, here is a photo of where we had our lunch in Anza Borrego:

We sat at a table at the end of this portico at the Butterfield Ranch Park and bought our drinks there, along with a couple of other supplies. We had chicken salad wrapped in lavash for our lunch with ginger ale.

A few days after the trip (Wednesday night) I came down with a terrible stomach virus that is going around, and I've been under the weather for the past six days. I had a fever of 102.6° on Thursday morning and had Kevin leave work to take me to the doctor, as I was very weak and extremely dehydrated. At first I thought it was food poisoning, perhaps from the chicken salad, but the doctor told me that the symptoms from food poisoning always appear within a few hours of eating the food, and so that was ruled out, especially since Kevin did not get sick. The doctor put me on the BRAT diet, and so Kevin got me some bananas, and I started making banana-date smoothies that are now a new favorite! To make them, I used one sliced banana, three chopped Medjool dates, 1 cup crushed ice, and 1/4 cup water, and I blended then in the Vitamix. I think now that I can make banana smoothies with date crystals, but the package says to make a frozen date paste before using the crystals in shakes, and so I guess I will have to make a batch of that.

Any other favorite date crystal recipes? I don't need recipes for dates, as I love eating them by themselves, but they were good in the banana smoothies, and so I might use them for something else as well.

The Barhi dates are softer and sweeter than Medjool dates, BTW.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

KatieC
7 years ago
"Somewhere" I have some recipes from Shields. I'll see if I can find them this weekend. I know there were recipes using the crystals. I have a bag that I need to play with also.

My sis lives very close to there and when I was down there I had some really good huevos rancheros and a date shake for breakfast. She sends us dates for Christmas. I can get dates from Indio at Costco, but they just aren't as good.
Lars thanked KatieC
annie1992
7 years ago
It looks lovely, Lars. I tried to get a date shake when I visited in California, but couldn't find one. Maybe I'll have to make my own...

Here it's snowing, so that picture of you eating outside made me smile.

Annie
Lars thanked annie1992
Related Discussions
Please Add MORE 'My Favorite Gardening Tips'
Q
Comments (91)
Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal
...See More
June 4th date for plant exchange and 'gardening tea'
Q
Comments (57)
Pauline, thank you so much for hosting! I had a good time and took home many wonderful plants. I have been busy and have not been online or done planting. Yes, I'll bring eggs. Who has a young boy? I found the following Chinese Master Sauce Braised Beef Recipe online: http://www.dinnertool.com/recipe/view/33137/Chinese-Master-Sauce-Braised-Beef It is pretty close to my recipe, except I would use rock sugar (raw sugar crystals)instead of regular sugar, rice wine instead of Scotch whisky or dry sherry, and add: 1 cup dark soy sauce 2 T star anise 1 T Sichuan pepper You can buy all of the ingredients in most Asian stores. You can use this recipe for any meat (e.g. chicken and pork) and peeled hard boil eggs. Happy cooking!
...See More
Today, from my garden I ate
Q
Comments (59)
David, didn't you turn the entire dish purple with the beets?? I've been wondering where to share this information and since I've mentioned my Passport melons and waiting for the Fastbreak cantaloupe (& I'm still waiting for Honey Girl Charentais and watermelons) - I may as well say something more about Passports here. Spring was a very difficult time for the melons. I had a visit from the neighbor during our 1st, belated warm spell. He was nearly standing on a dead melon plant and I was hoping he wouldn't notice and ask about it (and them). The cold, wet weather made the transplanted melon plants so sick, many died. The Honey Girls, that I like so well, must have had about an 80% loss. Turns out that there are no, none, nada, zip, zero cantaloupe out there! I'd assumed that some of the vines were Fastbreaks - nope. Besides the 2 plants (I believe it is) with ripening Charentais melons, and the easily identified watermelon vines - ALL the remainder are Passport galia melons! I've decided NOT to complain. Passport is a fine melon. Here's what Colorado State U says about them: "Very aromatic, nice texture, early season melons seem to be the most flavorful." Here's what Vesey seed company says: "An extremely early honeydew type melon. Combines ultra-earliness, durability, and great flavor. Passport has thick flesh and rich green color, dark green toward the outside, whitish green toward the seed cavity. Unlike muskmelons, the flavor is smooth and the aroma is fresh. Fruit are large averaging 6-7" in diameter and 5-6 lbs. Vines are vigorous and productive. Good disease tolerance. Maturity approximately 80-85 days" Territorial Seed notes that Passport is a "Galia" melon from Israel and claims it matures in 75 days in their gardens. The CSU research on specialty melons encountered an unexpected variable - hail. Loss to the hail storm ranged from 93% to 30% in 14 of the 15 varieties tested (50% loss was about the median). Here is where Passport came thru with flying colors - only a 13% loss from the hail!! My garden's difficult Spring growing conditions showed similar results - Passport makes it thru the border-line growing conditions of Spring cold and storms better than the others! Rather than be aggravated over the loss of the cantaloupe and most of the Charentais - I'm very pleased with Passport. d'S'
...See More
Do you think modern kitchens will look dated soon?
Q
Comments (53)
I think as long as the triangle is achieved between sink, stove and refrigerator with some room (as much as can fit!) for all that goes with cooking up a storm, and not installing any 'trends' that overwhelm (columns), a kitchen can remain in style. When my parents moved into their house in the 50's they enlarged the kitchen, and then proceeded to paint the cabinetry (original to the 1930's house) green. One wall was wallpapered. That kitchen stayed on trend right through to shortly before their deaths. The green changed with the times - avocado, sage, apple. The wallpaper did also; small or large patterned. When the trend came for less intricate cabinet doors and wood tones the cabinet doors were replaced with more streamlined varnished birch - which played well off the now deep-avocado cabinets. The last change came when molding was back in style - we wished then they had saved the original doors, but the solid wood plain doors were easily changed up with some molding applied, then painted - white of course (lowers stayed green :-) )! And the floor vinyl went to linoleum and finally wood. After the first change none of these were intensive remodels over the course of 50 years. My kitchen is painted with black cabinets. Upper cabinets are mostly glass-doored. One wall (thanks mom) is wallpapered with a large print containing a beautiful blue, which is repeated on the oven door and in the visible pantry. To achieve this was a major overhaul from the tiny kitchen before it. But I am confident that what we have done will last with a few coats of paint over the years. We didn't do anything that couldn't adjust with the times. The only mistake we made (as far we know so far lol) was to go with marble for all the countertops. We love it, but the fact is that quartz really is a great material!
...See More
Lars
Original Author
7 years ago
There's not much to a date shake, and I think my banana version was better than what I got at Shields - theirs was a bit too sweet.

I did mix some date crystals with water and put the mixture in the freezer, as the instructions said, but the crystals were not completely dissolved. I guess that is not important. A normal date shake is made with ice cream, milk, and date crystals (or dates), and I don't think it is important how you do it. I did love the date shake I had at Shields, even though it was very sweet.

It is easy enough to order fresh dates on line, if you cannot find them where you live, and the prices as Oasis are pretty good. For them, the Barhi dates are seasonal, and so I'll get some from them next season.
Lars
Original Author
7 years ago
I tried following the recipe for using the date crystals, but it said to mix 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup date crystals, mix thoroughly by hand and freeze. I did that, although I doubled the amount, and when I wanted to make a date shake (using banana instead of milk and ice cream), the date crystal mixture was frozen solid, and so I had to let it defrost in the fridge. Then I proceeded to make the banana-date smoothie using crystals instead of dates, and it came out very good. Next time I will skip the step of freezing the crystal mixture and just leave the mixture in the fridge overnight. I think it does take a while for the crystals to dissolve thoroughly.
PRO
Lars/J. Robert Scott
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Saturday I made steel cut oats with some of the date crystals. It's an extremely simple recipe: 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup date crystals, 2 cups water, 1-2 Tbsp butter, plus a pinch of salt (optional). Mix everything together in a saucepan, put on medium heat and bring to a low boil while stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. I found that this had enough flavor that the oats did not need cinnamon, and I normally do add cinnamon to my oats, but the date flavor is enough in this case.

Anyway, if you have leftover date crystals, this is a good use for them.

I'm going to buy my dates from farmers' markets in the future - they were half the price that Shields charges, and I don't have to go to Indio to get them.

Date crystals and Barhi Dates from Shields Date Gardens

Comments (5)

KatieC

annie1992

Related Discussions

Lars
Original Author

Lars
Original Author

Lars/J. Robert Scott

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Date crystals and Barhi Dates from Shields Date Gardens

Comments (5)

KatieC

annie1992

Related Discussions

LarsOriginal Author

LarsOriginal Author

Lars/J. Robert Scott

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Lars
Original Author

Lars
Original Author