Rhubarb & Goat Cheese Salad

I have so many things on my plate this week and I'm preparing for the weekend (I'm going to DC for Susi's baby shower and preparing for a youth group cookout), so I haven't had too many recipe posts in the past few days. Last night, as I rushed into the house, I caught my mom in the middle of preparing a salad so I joined right in with her to finish a Rhubarb and Goat Cheese Salad from the May 2009 Everyday Food Magazine. We also had a lasagna but I had two big plates of this salad and delicious rolls from Wegmans, which didn't leave room for the lasagna!

I am a huge fan of rhubarb and was just telling my mom how I wish we still had a rhubarb plant like we did when I was younger. I used to eat the freshly picked stalks raw... I love it! And one of my favorite pies is strawberry rhubarb, which I am definitely going to make this summer!

The salad recipe:

3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup walnut halves

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (they recommend white balsamic but we didn't have any and traditional balsamic was delicious nonetheless)

Salt & Pepper

4 bunches arugula (approx. 1 pound), tough ends removed

1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet (I always cover it in foil for easy clean up), toss rhubarb and honey. Roast on upper rack until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet.

On another baking sheet, toast walnuts on lower rack until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and then chop.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and fennel; toss to combine. Top with rhubarb, walnuts and goat cheese.

There are so many flavors going on here and they meld very well. Oh yum!!... I have some for my lunch today and I can hardly wait!