Wild hearts...of palm

Forgive the dorky pun, but my heart really did race a bit when I first saw these.

Something I didn't even know could grow in the northeast, let alone grow wild: hearts of palm. I spied these beauties at Berried Treasures and snatched them up.

They're not the same as the canned variety. Less creamy, more fibrous. Franca, one of the Berried Treasures farmers, told me that chefs around town are slicing them very thin and serving them raw on salads.

In fact, she sliced a sliver off of for me to taste before buying, and I loved it. Crisp, a little salty, a little artichoke-y.

At home, I actually boiled these for about 15 min in salted water, then gobbled them down. They were sweeter cooked and had an even stronger artichoke taste. I used the boiling liquid as a soup base for some sliced crimini mushrooms and a handful of spinach. Light and richly flavored, it was divine.