You’ve gotta love a restaurant that a. has their own take on macaroni and cheese on the menu, b. uses it as a way to keep people from yakking into their cell phones while the rest of us are dining (the menu notes that the use of cell phones interferes with the dish’s taleggio sauce) and – perhaps most importantly – c. comes up with a sassy new take on a summer heirloom tomato salad. Chef Bill Bracken (pictured, left) and the Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach have done just that.

Here’s his take on a salad of baby heirloom tomatoes – together with hearts of palm, micro basil and (here’s the really sassy part) avocado ice cream.

Baby Heirloom Tomatoes
with Hearts of Palm, Micro Basil and Avocado Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy of Chef Bill Bracken, Palm Terrace Restaurant and Lounge
Serves 4

¾ pound baby heirloom tomatoes
1 teaspoon fresh micro basil
2 teaspoons chopped shallot
½ teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 ounces fresh hearts of palm, thinly sliced

1 cup Avocado Ice Cream (recipe follows)
Micro basil for garnish

Cut the tomatoes into small wedges and place them in a bowl with the basil, shallots, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.

When ready to serve, add the hearts of palm to the tomato mixture and gently combine. Place equal amounts of the mixture onto the center of 4 plates. Sprinkle the micro basil around and over the tomatoes. Place 1 or 2 small scoops of the Avocado Ice Cream on the top and serve at once.

For the Avocado Ice Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon yuzu juice
2 ripe avocados

Mix all the ingredients together, except for the avocado, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for several minutes to ensure that the sugar is well dissolved. Cool down to approximately 140 degrees and place in a blender and blend in the avocado. At this point, you can add more yuzu or sugar, if desired. Cool completely in the refrigerator and then place in an ice cream maker follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep frozen in an airtight container until ready to serve.

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