At a recent Rosh Hashanah dinner, I was presented with what might have been seen as a skimpy first course -- a single date sitting in the middle of my plate. Of course, there would be plenty more food to come, but first we would bless the "first fruit" as a symbol of the bounty of the harvest.

Many Jews serve apples as their first fruit, but in the hotter climes of Israel, fruits such as the pomegranate, tamarind, fig, carob, quince and date are more commonly used. Syrian Jews regard dates as a symbol of sweetness for the year to come. And Sephardic Jews the world over treat the date as one of the seven fruits and vegetables that are blessed to start the New Year. Dates can also represent a closing or finish, as the Hebrew words for "dates" and "end" are similar.

The symbolism of dates extends beyond Rosh Hashonah. Israel was supposed to be the "land of milk and honey" -- but for the most part honey did not come from bees. It came from thickened reductions of the juice of pomegranates, tamarinds, figs, grapes and dates. At the archaeological site of Qumran, near the Dead Sea, there is a stone date press that is 2,000 years old. Dates were first crushed, then slowly boiled and reduced to create a thick, sweet syrup called halek, which can be used as a sweetener on all varieties of dishes.

The date is not only significant for its fruit; the wide branches of the date palm have their own uses. They are said to symbolize righteousness, love and fertility. During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, palm fronds are used for the roof of the symbolic outdoor hut, or sukkah, and a blessing is made over them, as they are one of the four species brought to the Temple during the pilgrim holiday. In the ancient world, they were used for ceilings, as fans, and for cording and basket making.

Although dates are indigenous to the Middle East, Spanish missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries introduced them to the New World. California now produces the vast majority of the U.S. crop, mostly of two varieties: deglet noor, which means "finger of light," and medjool, meaning "unknown" in Arabic and called by many the Cadillac of dates.

Dates, with a wonderfully rich, sweet flavor, are practically candy on their own. Perfect for baking, they are often used as a filling for cakes and pastries. One of my favorite recipes is a Syrian date-filled cookie in which the dates and nuts fill crescent-shaped crunchy pastries made from semolina and flour.

So this year start a new tradition. Eat a date as your first fruit or serve your apple dipped in date honey.

Halek (Date Honey) Recipe

Yield: 4 cups halek

10 cups pitted dates, preferably medjool

2 teaspoons ground anise

1. Put the dates, 4 quarts of water, and anise in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. The dates will soften, open up, and reach the consistency of chunky applesauce.

2. Press the date mixture through a food mill. Return the syrup to a small saucepan and simmer slowly, uncovered, over a very low heat for about 3 hours, stirring frequently, until the date syrup thickens enough to coat a spoon. Cool.

3. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. The "honey" will keep for several months.

Erass B'adjwah (Syrian Date-Filled Crescent Cookies) Recipe

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Dough:

1 cup semolina (not semolina flour)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Dash of salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound unsalted butter or pareve margarine at room temperature

1/2 to 3/4 cup cold water

Filling:

1 pound pitted dates

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Place the semolina, flour, salt, oil, and butter or margarine in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process, adding water a little at a time, until the dough forms a ball. You can also make it by hand, mixing the oil and butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers. Add the water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together and is smooth and pliable.

2. Remove the dough from the food processor, cover, and let it rest. At this point you can refrigerate the dough, bringing it to room temperature before working it.

3. Grind the dates in the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Then scoop them into a saucepan, add water barely to cover (about 2 cups) and cook the dates over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the water is mostly absorbed and a thick date paste is formed. Stir in the nuts and orange zest. Let the filling cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. Separate the dough into 4 equal parts and divide each part into nine 2-inch balls. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin or your hand to create a 4-inch disc. Place 1 tablespoon of the date mixture in the middle of the circle of dough, pressing the dates down on the circle. Fold into a half moon shape to enclose, gently pinch the edges along the round side to seal in the date mixture, then shape into a crescent. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden. The cookies can be frozen after they cool. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when ready to serve.

 

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Rosh Hashonah Recipes - Halek (Date Honey) & Syrian Date-Filled Crescent Cookies

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