Pear, Walnut and Date Bruschetta

I always buy dates intending to do so very many things with them and then several months later, I find some petrified brown logs in the back of the cupboard.

Dates are tricky little devils. People either gobble them up like they are the last piece of Godiva chocolate on the planet, or they wouldn’t eat them even If you triple dog dared them. I am the former, my husband the later. But even I can only eat so many at one time.

So recently a friend bought way too many dates and gave me a whole bunch figuring I would use them long before she ever could. Some people are just optimists.

But now I felt obligated. Hmmmm. What to do with this unexpected windfall? A salad? Definitely. A main course? Possibly. An appetizer? Absolutely!!! Now!!!!

Bruschetta is one of those things that meat eaters will eat without a second thought about it being meat and/or dairy free. It’s an appetizer, so maybe expectations are lower, and compared to a bowl of chips, bruschetta just sounds fancier.

But dates are so sweet, that you have to be careful what you put them with or you might want to shave your tongue after a bite or two. Blech! In this recipe, I teamed them up with some savory and some tart things to balance out that sweetness. Don’t worry if you can’t find pomegranate seeds, the juice can be modified to work just as well.

Ingredients:

12 slices of a baguette
Olive oil
3/4 cup diced pear (I used one that was a bit unripe, but an asian pear would work too. You just don’t want a really ripe, sweet pear)
sprinkle of lemon juice to keep the pears from turning brown
5-6 dates, diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
pomegranate seeds (If you can’t find pomegranate seeds, you can use pure pomegranate juice, pour it in a pot and boil it until it has been reduced and is thick and syrupy. Then, drizzle it on top of the finished bruschetta.)

Directions:

Brush one side of the baguette with some olive oil and place on the top rack under the broiler for 1-2 minutes till golden. Flip over, brush with oil and broil 1-2 minutes till golden. Set aside to cool.
Put pear in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice..Stir. Add dates and walnuts and mix well. Spoon onto the cooled baguettes and top with a bit of pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.