Heirloom Tomato and Hearts of Palm Salad with Spicy Thai Dressing

Let's start this with an apology.

Because well...I feel a twinge of guilt for letting this little blog go by the wayside while I was in Missouri.  I had every intention of creating posts and even posting a few that have been sitting in the archives.  But it just didn't happen.  And I'm sorry about that.  Truly.

At this point I would normally move straight to the excuses.  But this time I'm not going to.  You don't need to hear them, right?  Right.

The good news is...I'm back.  And while I can't promise entirely regular posts, due to an incredibly busy semester + two jobs, I can promise at least a little more regularity than I displayed this past month.

Alright.  Everybody happy now?  Mmkay, good.

On to the good stuff.

Hearts of Palm.  Have you had them?  No?  That's okay.  Well, not really.  Because you need them in your life.  But I'll let it slide for approximately a week.  Or at least enough time for you to run to the grocery store and get a jar.

During a recent culinary adventure, I was able to spend an entire evening in the kitchen with a duo that loves food just as much if not more than I do.  We made delicious food (gazpacho, stuffed tomatoes, and salmon), drank plenty of wine, and enjoyed each others company well into the night.  At some point in the evening I was asked if I had ever tried hearts of palm.  I regrettably had to admit that I had not, to which I was met with a disappointed glare.  A glare that was immediately followed by a snarky comment suggesting that I had been living in a cave for the last 21 years. 

Facing that sort of disappointment I knew I had to immediately go out and find some of these things.

And I did just that.  Almost immediately after arriving in Boston I ran to Trader Joes and found myself a jar, came home, made a salad, and put them all over the top.

Swoon.

After devouring, swooning, and sending out thank yous I decided more could be done.  And this is what happened...

heirloom tomato and hearts of palm salad...   

with a spicy thai dressing

Recipe adapted from: Kalyn's Kitchen

Makes: 4-6 Servings  Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: None  Total Time: 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
4 cups heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 can hearts of palm, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped

spicy thai dressing-
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sriracha (or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic puree
 1 tablespoon grapeseed or peanut oil

Directions:
After cutting the tomatoes into wedges place them in a colander to drain while you prepare the other ingredients.  Drain the hearts of palm and cut them into thick slices and then separate them into rings or cut in half if they don't break apart.  Slice green onions into slivers, chop the mint and cilantro, and combine everything in a large bowl.  Add the tomatoes after draining.

In a smaller bowl combine all dressing ingredients except for the oil and mix until the curry paste is incorporated.  Add the oil and taste.  If it tastes strong add more oil.  If you want it a bit more spicy add more sriracha.

Right before serving, pour in the dressing and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.