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May 13 2010
Posted in
Cook It -
Santa Monica, CA
No matter our resolutions, even locavores who shun processed foods can crave the convenience of an energy bar. For those cases, Larabars fit the bill: the short ingredient list – mostly dried fruit and nuts – is a far cry from the typical catalogue of syrups and soy protein isolates. But the hefty price tag and plastic packaging may give some conscientious consumers pause. Making a similar bar at home can save you some money and ecological guilt: it’s easy and fun, and – if you live somewhere like Southern California, where I spent a balmy New Year – you can get the ingredients at your local farmers market.
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| Photo: Katie Kadue |
For a basic bar, all you’ll need is dates and nuts. It’s peak season for dates at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, and those honeyed Halawys will melt in your mouth, but the drier (and often cheaper) early-harvest dates will do fine here. Any variety will do, but meaty Medjools like the ones I picked up from Four Apostles probably work best. Raw and unpasteurized almonds, sold only at farmers markets, are harvested in fall but are often available year-round. You could also use walnuts, cashews, or even macadamias; their higher fat content will make for richer bars.
To make, combine roughly equal amounts pitted dates and nuts in a food processor and blend until the dough forms into a ball. You may want to tinker with the ratio, add spices, or substitute another fruit for some of the dates: dried apples and a dash of cinnamon, apricots with fresh or ground ginger and orange zest, or to exoticize your local treat, a tablespoon of cocoa powder or coconut butter. Press the dough into a lined cake pan and refrigerate to set before cutting into bars.
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