This salad chapter would not be complete without a salad with hearts of palm—one of my favorite foods. Hearts of palm grow mostly in Brazil and Costa Rica, but can also be found in Florida, where they have the far less appealing name of swamp cabbage. Outside of the tropics, they are usually sold in jars or cans. Each pale green stalk is 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter and resembles a cheese stick. They taste like a cross between artichoke hearts and asparagus, with a slightly crunchy, delicate texture. The tropical ingredients in this salad—avocado, macadamia nuts, and lime marinade for the shrimp—complement the hearts of palm well.

Ingredients:

1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 fresh limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 jar (16 ounces) hearts of palm, drained and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup lemon mustard vinaigrette (from Tuna Niçoise recipe)

Directions:

Place the shrimp in a small ceramic or glass bowl. Add the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Place the shrimp on the grill, draining and discarding the marinade. Grill 1 minute on each side, or until the shrimp is perfectly pink and curled up. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.

Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl. Add the hearts of palm, avocado, tomatoes, macadamia nuts, and cilantro. Gently toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and place in a colorful serving dish. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. Look for hearts of palm packed in jars, because the canned hearts can sometimes be woody and fibrous.