Hearts of Palm Louis
Line chilled salad plates with Bibb or butter lettuce and arrange sliced chilled palm hearts over. Dress with Louis sauce (recipe follows) or whisk together equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup or chili sauce and spoon over. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Note: Find palm hearts in the canned foods section of your grocer’s. You can buy them sliced or whole. If whole, quarter lengthwise before arranging on plate.

Louis Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 minced scallion, green part only
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Next: Fresh Mozzarella with Black Olives and Gremolata

Fresh Mozzarella with Black Olives and Gremolata
This is one appetizer your guests are likely to request over and over ~ and you’ll be happy to oblige!

Half an hour before serving time, drain a can or two of large pitted black olives and pour them into a good-sized mixing bowl. Add a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, some kosher salt, a turn or two of extra-virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of red wine or red wine vinegar, the zest of half a lemon, and a few tablespoons of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Right before serving, add a pound of diced fresh mozzarella or whole pearlini and toss to coat. Serve in scooped tomato halves or on chilled salad plates in a nest of mesclun mix.

Next: Warm White Bean Salad with Lemon and Rosemary

Warm White Bean Salad with Lemon and Rosemary
Quick, easily scalable to accommodate extra guests, and deceptively simple, with a few pantry staples you can turn this salad out in mere minutes.

Warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add a minced garlic clove and a teaspoon of fresh rosemary leaves, stirring to heat evenly. Add a teaspoon of lemon zest; 1 (15-ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; and a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, stirring until heated through. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper and serve on small warmed salad plates with crusty bread, if desired.