Hearts of Palm and Cress Salad

• Recipe by Daisy Martinez

Hearts of palm, which are popular in Latin cooking, are tangy and tender, with a pleasant crunch. Here the hearts of palm are tossed in a refreshing salad with watercress, tomatoes, salty olives and juicy navel oranges.

Ingredients

1. 2 large navel oranges
2. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 3/4 pound watercress (2 bunches), tough stems discarded
6. 3 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
7. One 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
8. 1/2 cup pitted Calamata olives

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, peel the oranges, taking care to remove all of the bitter white pith; working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the membranes to get 1/4 cup of the orange juice. Save the remaining orange juice for another use.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the orange juice and lemon juice with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the orange sections, watercress, tomatoes, hearts of palm and olives and toss well. Serve immediately.