Dates

Freshly harvested in the fall, dates are available dried year-round. Look for plump dates that aren’t too dried out. While dates are a prime sweetener, consider pairing them with savory ingredients as well. The largest dates are the Medjools but also try other varieties such as the endangered Black Sphinx date or the Khadrawy. Good local sources are Sphinx Date Ranch in Scottsdale (try their date shake) and the seasonal ASU Polytechnic date grove sale.

For recipes, see ediblephoenix.com/dates.