The above picture shows you one of my favourite shoots which is Hearts of Palm. You can eat them on their own with a little Dressing. During my childhood we had them very often at home. Nowadays I do occasionaly buy them in tins.

You can chop Hearts of Palm into chunks and treat them like Scallops and sear them gently in a frying pan. I would use a little Vegetable Oil on that one, something subtle. However I will do a little dip to be on the side to serve them. Rice Wine Vinegar, Sesame Oil, toasted Black Sesame Seeds, and either Sechuan cruched Pepper or a chopped Chilli preferably red or you can settle for Chilli Seeds, the dip is your own creation. As a decoration I would choose chopped Coriander Leaves and a drizzle of Dark Soy Sauce.

 Rice Wine Vinegar and Rice Vinegar can make beautiful Dips and Dressing. My cupboard has always a bottle of it. So handful to boost a Stir Fry.

Cooked or uncooked Hearts of Palm are also an excellent ingredient to use within a Salad. It could be as simple as chopping them into slices, and combine them with quartered skinned, or in lovely big chunked Avocadoes, then adding halved Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella Pearls. A Lemon Dressing or a Balsamic Vinegar one can work with it all. A bit of green will not go amiss with torned or chopped Basil leaves.

 Avocadoes, healthy and not to be dismissed.

Hearts of Palm can be griddled as well or barbecued. It can add a nice side to a BBQ party, served with Lime Juice, a drizzle of Sesame Oil on a bed of part boiled or washed and crunchy Pak Choi with Water Chestnuts.

Pak Choi is so very nice to compose an Oriental style of Salad.

Then of course there are the Bamboo shoots which are mainly used in Asian dishes. Within a Stirfry they can be added as a common way to use Bamboo Shoots.

Pork StirFry. Pork marries well with Bamboo Shouts.

But there are plenty of other ways such as Braising the Bamboo Shoots and serve them on their own or as accompaniement to a Fish dish for example.

Fresh Bamboo Shoots. It requires a little preparation, compared to the ones preserved in tins.

Speaking of the produce of the sea, you can conjure up a lovely meal with seared Scallops, Bamboo Shoots, Water Chestnut, griddle Spring Onions, and a sliced Red Chilli.

Seared Scallops are flexible ingredients to create numerous Shell Fish courses. They are not only for adding a touch of Luxury to a Srter but can be used to elvate a Main.

The dish I describe above with its Asian flavours is mainly one which I would classify as a Starter, a light Dinner or decadent Lunch. You can give it a more decandent look by dishing out upon a banana leave instead of a plate. To finish add a little chopped Coriander Leaves on top, serve lime, and a drizzle of White Rice Wine mixed with light Soy Sauce. The decoration is important there and you align the Scallops in a very neat row, by alterning the Scallops with the Bamboo Shoots, Water Chestnuts, while the Chilli is scattered over it all to give a punch and a note of colour with its vibrant red. Finally the last touch will cut in the long in half and in fine Jullienne strips and place around the line. Et Voilà.

 Banana Leaves are nice to be used as a dish to serve food upon but also to steam food with them by creating little parcels.

Staying with Eastern Asian and to Japan in parcular you can create a bowl of rice using Bamboo Shoots which Japanese called Takenoko. The crunch of Bamboo Shoots, contrast with unctiousness given to the Rice. For extra Umami flavour the addition of Shitake Mushrooms is most welcomed. Top up with Micro Leaves for decoration. Although this bowl of Rice can be eaten on its own and makes a perfect Veggie Lunch, it can be presented as a side to a Main dish for dinner.

 Fresh Shitake Mushrooms detenter of Umami Flavours.

We established that Bamboo Shoots were versatile so I will recommand you to try that mervellous ingredient.