Dates were unknown to most Americans when groves of date palms were planted in California between Palm Springs and the Salton Sea in the 1890s. For decades, they remained obscure, exotic curiosities. Then in the 1940s, Russ Nichol, proprietor of a local fruit stand, figured out a way to lure travelers along old Highway 111 to give dates a try: the date shake. Made by adding finely chopped date crystals or date puree to the blender along with ice cream and milk, a date shake is wanton luxury that radiates the taste of sunshine. It has since become a signature dish not only of the Coachella Valley but of shake shacks and smoothie bars along the coast in Orange County. Even today, a date shake puts one in mind of a vintage California where sunshine and fresh fruit defined a healthy way of life.