Warm Dates with Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Lemon Zest - Dishing Up the Dirt (2024)

Happy hour is a closely held ritual here at the farm and we typically whip up something simple to snack on while we sip a beer, wine, co*cktail or tea. I love clinking glasses with Taylor (and neighbors) at the end of a hard day. There’s something really special about reflecting on the day’s work andchatting about what was rad, difficult or what we can do to make the following day more productive. It’s our sacred time and something we’ve done for years.

These warm dates with olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest are amazing. Sweet and savory is my jam and these little guys don’t disappoint. The dates are sautéed in olive oil until they become soft and almost caramel-like. Then they’re sprinkled with flakey sea salt, lemon zest and drizzled with the warm oil they were cooked in. This appetizer is simple, flavorful and canbe whipped up in no time. If you want to jazz this up a bit more I’d serve these dates with plain yogurt or serve on top of crusty bread with ricottaor goat cheese. This is a great snack with an adult beverage or simply as a mid afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee or tea.

I hope you all enjoy these warm dates as much as we do. They’re inspired by food52.

Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.

Warm Dates with Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Lemon Zest

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4-6

• extra virgin olive oil
• 12 dried dates (un-pitted) see note
• flakey sea salt
• lemon zest

Preparation

Notes

*I chose to use un-pitted Medjool dates because they'll cook a bit longer without burning which results in a softer more tender date. If you use pitted dates or slice them and pit them, note the cooking time will be less and they could burn more easily.

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