Who would have imagined that Martha Stewart would have included some great recipes for Tu B’Shevat in her magazine that came out just before the holiday?  Yep, the highlight of the month was dates (which is why I bought the magazine).  So this is what we ate for our Tu B’Shevat dinner – an adaptation of Martha’s Roasted Chicken with Dates, Citrus and Olives.

It was really, really tasty, especially when I mixed everything together, including the orange pulp.

So here are the tree fruits in this dish – preparing it was pleasing to both my eyes and my nose.

Citrus Chicken with Dates & Olives

Adapted from Martha Stewart.com Roasted Chicken with Dates, Citrus, and Olives

1 1/2 – 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, quartered

1 orange, quartered, plus 1/4 cup fresh juice 

1/8 cup dry white wine

5 large soft dates, such as medjool or khadrawi, halved and pitted

1 tsp dried thyme (from the garden)

2 cup large green olives, halved and pitted

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan or oven-safe dish, season chicken with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Squeeze lemon and orange over chicken, then add fruit to pan.

Add wine, orange juice, half of dates, and thyme. Roast 25  minutes.

 

Remove pan from oven; rotate chicken pieces if browning unevenly. Add olives and remaining dates.

Roast until thoroughly cooked, about 30-40 minutes more.Transfer chicken and citrus to a platter.

 

Mash some of dates with the back of a wooden spoon, until sauce is thickened. Pour over chicken; serve.

Serves 4.