Tangy Grapefruit and Hearts of Palm Salad
The heart of what?
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Hearts of palm are delicious in the way that artichokes are delicious. But without all the edges and difference in texture. Like artichokes, they do have layers but when cut, they split off into cute, little half-rounds that bear little resemblance to the layers of an artichoke.
Now that we’ve established what a heart looks like and tastes like, we would be remiss not to describe the flavor combination of these tasty stalks alongside juicy grapefruit section. In my opinion, these two flavor combinations, along with a simple but delicious vinaigrette, make up my absolute favorite salad. (Fig and Walnut Salad is a close second, but second.)
An enigma
I still run across people who are like, “Hearts of palm what?” I’m happy to educate others on what I believe is a true treat. So what do they come from? Well, herein lies the controversy surrounding this vegetable. Single-stalk palm trees have been the main source of harvesting hearts of palm, supplying the ‘heart’ of the tree. However, in harvesting the core from a single-stalk tree kills the entire plant and also eliminates the habitat of some natural species. The combination of deforestation and rendering certain species nearly extinct has a devasting ring to it. Read more here in a piece entitled, The Core of the Hearts of Palm Issue.
The good news
You don’t have to avoid this delicious salad though, as conservationists and animal rights protectionists have seen to a reworking on the harvesting of hearts of palm. It begins with something as simple as outlawing harvesting from a single-stem palm. A true with multi-stems can withstand the harvesting of a portion of the hearts and still survive and thrive.
Honestly, this is great news as I wouldn’t want to have to give up my favorite salad, or some of the healthier ‘pastas’ being made out of hearts of palm. The health benefits over pasta are many and while I don’t think it’s a substitution for all pasta sauces, there are some that compliment the artichoke-y flavor of the hearts of palm quite nicely.
Tangy Grapefruit and Hearts of Palm Salad
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Blush Wine Vinegar (you can also use White Wine Vinegar or even Champagne Vinegar)
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- 2 medium heads butter lettuce (or you can use 2 prewashed, pre-sectioned bags of butter lettuce)
- 1- 14 oz can hearts of palm
- 2 medium red or pink grapefruit, sectioned (or you can buy no-sugar-added already sectioned pink grapefruit and strain the juice off and use an equal amount)
- few grinds ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare dressing. Shake well.
- Rub the interior of a wooden salad bowl with the cut garlic. Add lettuce, hearts of palm and grapefruit. Give it a few good grinds of black pepper. Drizzle dressing over all and toss. Enjoy!
