Pancetta Dates Stuffed With Goat Cheese (Dream Dates?)

I made these wonderful dates stuffed with goat cheese as an appetizer for a friend’s birthday party last week. People just loved them, and I have a lot of vegetarian and/or Jewish friends, so I was glad that I was able to make a great appetizer that everyone could eat.

Pancetta Dates Stuffed With Goat Cheese (Dream Dates)

24 (or more) pitted dates – Medjool or whatever they have at the store
24 blanched almonds
6 ounces good goat cheese (plain or herbed, softened)
A few strips of pancetta, cut into 24 thin, skinny slices (about the size of a strip of bacon)
Also need: 24 toothpicks, soaked in water for 10 minutes or more

First, preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and set your goat cheese out to soften a bit. Then, get your dates and stuff them with an almond each. Then put your goat cheese into a pastry bag or a sturdy Ziploc bag with a small corner cut out of it and fill the dates the rest of the way with the goat cheese.

Wrap each stuffed date with a strip of pancetta and secure with a toothpick. Put these on parchment paper on a cookie sheet or other oven-safe pan with sides. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and serve right away.

For a recipe with only four ingredients, these little nuggets of joy are inexplicably complex. The honey sweetness of the dates, and the goat cheese adds a smooth yet inexplicable complexity to these things. And the almond balances everything out with a little crunch. I made a bunch without almonds, and they were just as good.

Variations:
- For vegetarians, just leave out the pancetta. It works great, and no need to bother about the toothpicks.
- Use bacon instead of pancetta
- Wrap a fresh basil leaf around the stuffed dates before you wrap them in the pancetta.

the best global deli in Cleveland: Dish Global Deli

Dish Global Deli
1834 West 25th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
(216) 589.9700

You might think that Dish Global Deli sounds like it would be the opposite of a meat lover’s paradise. And you’d be right.

This funky little spot on West 25th in Ohio City is the newest fantastic sandwich place as far as I’m concerned. The first time I walked in, the friendly lady behind the counter shook my hand and cheerfully introduced herself as Heather, the owner, and proceeded to make suggestions and answer my questions about the menu items.

While it offers many excellent-sounding vegetarian and vegan options, Dish has plenty to offer a hungry carnivore, including the Talk Turkey with turkey, provolone and apricot relish on pumpernickel; the Guilty Pleasure, with brie, avocado and bacon; and the Tastes Like Chicken with chicken, gouda, carmelized onion and fig jam.

Great veggie sandwiches, too: my fav is the Vegan Shmegan. It’s a grilled wrap with hummus, roasted red peppers, black beans and grilled tempeh. Ask to add feta – it adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

In addition to these great options, Heather always has great specials on the board. Right now, she has a roasted acorn squash filled with rice that looks really good.

One more thing – you must try the vegan chocolate chip cookies. Better than regular ones!

It’s great to have more fresh, healthy lunch spots open up in the area!