These date squares are sweet, chewy, crumbly, messy, and a little bit tangy thanks to the yummy, lemon-spiked medjool date purée sandwiched between a buttery crumble crust. Lemon juice takes the edge off the potentially sickening sweetness of the dates, and butter is… well, butter — enough said.  But honestly, you could eat a medjool date sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard and it would still kick an ordinary date square’s butt.

Once again, I find myself inspired by — or perhaps, rather, in desperate need of using up — copious quantities of certain foodstuffs, so lovingly delivered by our friendly CSA farmers. The zucchini harvest seems to have waned and we now find ourselves (most appreciatively) up to our knees in carrots.

The center aisles and frozen foods sections of the typical grocery store are testament to the sad and unhealthy alienation of North Americans from the food we eat and the kitchens in which we used to actually cook it. I could go on for days about the shocking “convenience” foods I’ve witnessed whilst strolling through the supermarket: pre-packaged hard-boiled eggs, sliced and cored apples suffocated individually in sheaths of plastic, and vacuum-packed, pre-formed, uncooked meatballs, to name a few. But nestled near the top of the list of these culinary travesties lie box upon box of pancake mix, for these breakfast staples are ridiculously easy to make — even on a weekday.

I’m not a coffee drinker, but if I were, this is the cookie I’d want to nosh on while sipping my cup of joe, espresso, or caramel macchiato. But don’t take my word for it: my java loving hubby gave the partnership two thumbs way up after “testing” the hazelnut butter “nutella” cookie with cup after cup of his favorite Just Us Coffee brew.

The perfect plum is a rare find. Typically, the ones piled up in plastic baskets at the  grocery store are pretty to look at, but are seldom prime for the eating, with an overly tart flavor and a tough, sapless texture. Local, fresh, perfectly ripe plums deserve a special nod to their deliciousness.