Hearts Of Palm Salad

Hearts of Palm also go by the not so nice name of "swamp cabbage" where they are known as in Florida are the sprouting tips and core from various types of palm tree.Hearts of Palm where originally harvested in Florida but because thier method of harvesting leads to the palms death they are now considered a protected species there.Instead, they are grown in the Carribean,Central America, and the Amazon where they are harvested from either the Cabbage Palm(Sabal Palmetto)or peach palm.
Hearts of Palm have a smooth, firm texture with a taste being a cross between that of artichokes and asparagus.They are usually eaten in salads where they are served sliced or they can be steamed, sauteed,or fried.Hearts of Palm are available year-round.They are usually available cut into pieces and shrinkwrapped or canned.They can usually be found in Latin markets or in the canned vegetable section of most major markets.Below is my recipe for a simple green salad using this tropical vegetable.

Yeild:6 servings

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced
1/2c mushrooms, sliced
6c mesclun salad mix or romaine lettuce, shredded
1c cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 med. red onion, thinly sliced
1/2c alfalfa sprouts
1-14oz. can hearts of palm, drained,chopped in peices
your favorite dressing, to serve

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl minus the dressing and mix to combine.
2. Serve with a drizzle of your favorite dressing.