Palm is where the heart is.....is that just too corny?

Ready to prepare hearts of palm

Ever heard of hearts of palm? This is a most interesting delicacy. They are also called the bud or core of trees that include coconut, jucara and pejibayes.

Hearts of palm are also known as palmitos and palm cabbage.  In Florida, they are called "swamp cabbages" because they are harvested from the "cabbage" or palmetto tree. They are a crunchy, kind of sweet vegetable. Their taste is sort of a cross between artichoke heart and white asparagus.

The center of the palm tree

The largest producer of hearts of palm is Brazil. In order to harvest the hearts, a young tree must be cut down, debarked with the fibrous outer layer peeled away. Over time the destruction of the trees contributed to the destruction of the rain forest.  Areas of the rain forest are now protected from harvesting the trees.

Fortunately, in more recent times, hearts of palm have been, and are now farmed.  The farmed trees produce more crops and do not cause hazard to the rain forest.  

Have you heard of the acai berry? It's a popular super berry these days. Well, the acai tree also is a source of hearts of palm.

Brazil is still responsible for nearly 50 percent of the volume of hearts of palm that are imported to the United States. Other countries like Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Venezuela also produce the hearts as well as Florida and Hawaii.

Can you guess which country imports and consumes more hearts of palm than any other nation? No, it isn't the United States. In fact, it is France.

Most of us will find hearts of palms in jars or cans in the grocery store. If that is how you get yours, make sure that you purchase those that are only packed in water. Be sure to rinse the hearts before preparation.

If you cannot find hearts of palm and you really must have some to make our recipe, which is coming up, you can order them online. Here's two site to help you out!

Local Harvest 
Puna Gardens

Hearts of palm are a wonderful addition to any salad as they add a nice crunch and a smooth flavor.  

But don't go thinking that this tasty crunchy delight is just for salads.  A lovely soup would come from simmering hearts of palm in a nice chicken or vegetable stock. Add chopped onion, and bit of chopped garlic, diced potatoes, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Simmer until vegetables are cooked through. If you like a thicker soup, blend the vegetables to the consistency you like. Add a drop of creme fraiche for a creamy dreamy soup experience.

But let's not forget pizza! The hearts can be sliced as a topping on your favorite cheese and pepperoni pie.

In days past, due to the cost of harvesting palm trees, Florida created a salad called the Millionaire's Salad.  Apparently, that salad was only available to the wealthy.  The 2 Prickly Pears are not millionaire's, but every once in awhile its okay with us to splurge a bit.  So we offer you our recipe for Millionaire's Salad.

2 Prickly Pears Millionaire's Salad

Here's what you need:

4 hearts of palm spears, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 ripe avocado, cut in bite size pieces
1/3 cup kalamato olives
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped basil
White Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Fresh crack black pepper

Here's what you need to do:

Using a salad plate, first arrange the olives, roasted red peppers, and hearts of palm in center of the plate. Place the pieces of avocado around the olive mixture. Sprinkle first the basil and then the goat cheese on the salad. Now sprinkle the salad with the white balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Finally add the black pepper.

The 2 Prickly Pears think this should be called the Millionaire's Salad because it tastes like a million bucks. This is crazy delicious.

So there you have it.  If you haven't tried hearts of palm, give it a try.  It is delicate and delicious, and you are worth it.

Now go out and make something good.