Local produce! Finally! I ordered my first all local box of the season last week. It’s a little pricey but worth it when it has fruit and vegetables I actually want to eat. I don’t get even the mixed (local and not) boxes in the winter unless it is something special like an unusual squash because I can find most of what’s in them at Aldi or a regular supermarket. But finally, things are growing here! My guess is these green beans were grown in a greenhouse or some sort of shelter because it is still getting pretty close to freezing here at night. 

Anyway! I had actually gone to Trader Joe’s, which I am not a fan of, because I was at that shopping center going to a Daffodil show  and thought why not and while there I saw these odd hearts of palm medallions. They are from a bit of the plant that is further down on the stem (?) so it doesn’t split into rings like regular hearts of palm which is a little odd but fine by me. I am all for reduced food waste. Plus they came in a nifty resealable bag which convenient because I actually only made a half batch of this salad for the two of us. They added a slightly pickled flavor and some texture interest. I always stock up on speck when it is on sale during Aldi’s German week. I just love the texture and the salty, smoky richness it gives to everything. It is a truly fancy-seeming side that comes together very quickly and can be made ahead a bit. Honestly, I say to refrigerate it up to an hour but the leftovers I had the last day were just fine. Simply add the speck when ready to serve.