The other day I walked out onto my balcony and realized that I’d abandoned some fresh dates out there a few weeks prior. Fresh dates are a seasonal (late summer/early fall) treat that I first discovered in the farmers markets of Southern California. They’re sold by the branch, each holding about a dozen yellow-skinned fruit that are crisp and refreshing like an apple but as sugary as candy.

The dates won’t go bad if they sit out; they’ll just slowly soften into lush richness inside their papery skins, seeming to grow even more plump than before. You can eat them at any stage - which I would have done, if I had remembered their existence.

Ash had settled over everything outside, so I had to peel the dates. Without the skins to hold them in a neat package, I couldn’t do my standard trick of stuffing them with goat cheese and mascarpone. Instead I thought of Ludo Bites, where I’d had dates whipped with fleur de sel.

The date meat was so moist, it went along with the whisk like soft butter instead of getting stirred around in the bowl. I added flaky sea salt little by little, keeping in mind that it wouldn’t dissolve right away, if at all, until it tasted right - a saline edge against the sweetness.

Then what? You could spread it on bread (I’m thinking hazelnut toast), but I wanted to play up the salty-sweet contrast even more. A dollop on top of a couple slices of creamy goat cheese is a lovely and simple way to end a meal.