Hearts of Palm

The islands of Hawaiʻi are often associated with sunny skies, beaches, and palm trees. When most people think of palms as a food source in Hawaiʻi, coconuts usually come to mind. Although coconuts ARE a fantastic source of nutrients, calories, and hydration. In this entry, we are looking at the inside of the palm tree known as the HEART as a source of sustenance.

In June of 2021 we visited Puna Gardens - a heart of palm producer in Kurtistown Olaʻa, just a few miles away from our KS Hawaiʻi campus. We received a full tour of the 60+ acre property, met the cows, chickens, the awesome folks who run the farm and of course the palm orchard and learned how palm trees are raised and harvested for food.

Growth

Seeds that drop from the mature trees are collected and potted individually. Then, they sprout and spend their first year in a shade house.

Watch out, these palms have some protection for themselves!

Palm Orchard

Multiple levels of tree height provide trees that can seed and be harvested at the same time. Having an area that is heavily shaded also keeps weeds to a minimum - allowing these hard workers to put their efforts elsewhere!

IMG_0044.MP4

<<<<<<<<<<

Mature trees in the orchard that will provide seeds to ensure harvesting can continue sustainably.

>>>>>>>>>>

Scoping out the trees to be harvested! These harvest ready trees have been in the ground for 1-2 years and will produce roughly 2-3 pounds of edible heart.

IMG_0029.MP4

Sections of trees that are not edible are left at the base to compost and return nutrients to the soil.

The cows also get to benefit from the "scraps" off the trees.

Harvest

When harvesting, farmers mostly use the top section near where the new fronds are growing. This tender part of the tree is the edible section! Look closely and you can see where the tree shifts from trunk to fronds that will eventually sprout out of the top.

IMG_0030.MP4

The final pieces of "bark" are stripped from the top section and the inner core is sent for cold storage.

Palm usage in cooking

Hearts of palm can be used in the kitchen in a variety of ways. From topping salads, adding a crunch in sushi or wraps, or being cooked in all kinds of dishes - hearts of palm are a great way to add a locally sourced food item to your regular diet. Check out how weʻre experimenting with the ones we received from Puna Gardens!

Lasagna

This staple of Italian cuisine often consists of layers of noodles, meat, cheese, sauce, veggies, cheese, and more cheese! We swapped the noodles with slices of hearts of palm for a low carb, gluten free, delicious main course.

The base of the palm section is best used for this dish because the fibers are older and hold together. While cutting, pay attention to when the heart of palm begins to section on its own and break like the rings of an onion. These are best used for salads or sushi fillers.

Beefy Heart of Palm Lasagna

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs fresh heart of palm (sliced in rings or sheets)

1 lb ground beef

1 - 32oz jar pasta sauce (or equivalent of homemade)

3 cups fresh spinach

2 cups mozzarella cheese

3-4 cups ricotta cheese

garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Brown meat, season with salt and pepper, drain, and set aside.
While meat is browning chop garlic, herbs, and spinach and lightly saute until garlic has browned slightly and spinach is completely wilted.
Heat a medium sized pot half way full of water and set on the burner to boil. Meanwhile, slice heart of palm 1/4 inch wide (rings or sheets) and drop into boiling water for 30-60 seconds, or until tender and flexible when held up with tongs. Set into a colander to allow as much moisture to evaporate and drain as possible.
Line the bottom of a baking dish first with hearts of palm, then ricotta, veggies, sauce, and meat. Repeat for a second complete layer adding mozzarella in as desired. Make sure you finish with hearts of palm, then sauce, lastly mozzarella cheese.
Bake, uncovered on the middle rack of a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Set oven to broil and put dish on the highest rack setting possible and broil until cheese topping begins to blister.
Let lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting in. Use a slotted spatula to serve incase of excess liquid in pan.

What we learned in making lasagna

When slicing, rings are easier but the shape of the sheets helps cover the pan more efficiently. It is more difficult to cut evenly but replicates traditional sheets of lasagna and will need to be cut through completely when serving.

Parboiling for 30-60 seconds before baking, helps provide a softer texture than heart of palm that is put into the dish raw. The thickness of your slices will determine how long you boil them. Hearts of palm should be flimsy when held up with a pair of tongs.

Only cook a few slices at a time to keep the right temperature of the water and allow room for the hearts to move around.

While cooking, excess liquid may show up due to the nature of the heart of palm. You may drain carefully, let each piece drip a bit before serving, or disregard it all together.

Our producers recommended grilling before layering to remove moisture and add flavor! How else could we achieve this? Let us know your own thoughts/experiments.

Braised Vegetables

A braise is a two part cooking, where the Maillard reaction is evoked using an initial dry heat to brown the food item (usually meat or vegetables), then finished by adding a liquid and slowly cooking until done. This technique helps keep foods tender and moist. By adding a little fat (in the form of butter) to the liquid, vegetables develop a richer, slick taste. Onions are especially delicious when cooked this way.

Ingredients:

1 whole onion, halved and sliced thinly

1 lb heart of palm

½ bell pepper

1 ½-2 cups chicken stock

4 Tbsp. salted butter

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and trim ends off of onion, slice in half, then thinly lengthwise from top to bottom.
Rinse heart of palm, shake off excess water and cut into ¼ inch wide half moon or ring shaped slices.
Wash and cut bell pepper in half from top to bottom, remove seeds and stem with your fingers. Cut lengthwise into ¼ inch strips.
Heat a dutch oven or large saucepan over high heat, after about 3 minutes add an even drizzle of oil and wait 30-60 seconds for it to heat up. Test one piece of onion, if it sizzles, slowly add the rest and let cook for 2-3 minutes undisturbed.
Stir onion and add hearts of palm, making sure that they are not resting on top of the onions and contact the pan directly. Cook another 2-3 minutes undisturbed. (Be mindful of heat, if things begin to smoke pull pan off of heat and lower temperature before returning to direct heat)
Stir and add bell pepper pieces. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add a few grinds of pepper and 1 tsp. Salt.
Add butter and enough chicken stock to cover veggies.
Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to allow the liquid to simmer and cover (see video on difference between simmering and boiling) for about 7 minutes or until veggies are tender and liquid has reduced in volume.
Stir in lemon juice and serve immediately. Any extra sauce can be used to dress other food items.

Page updated

Report abuse