10 Ways with Dates

August and September mark date-harvest time in the Middle East, home to the date palms on which these sweet, caramelly fruit grow. If you can get your hands on new-harvest dates, you're in for a treat, but the ordinary dried ones certainly deserve their place in the kitchen. It's worth spending a bit extra for good ones if you're using them whole, though, because quality can vary. If your experince of cooking with dates stops at a traditional date loaf, try your hand at a Moroccan-style orange and date salad, or try Peter Kurivita's life-changing Si Lankan date and tamarind chutney.