It’s been a long couple of days over here at the Plate to Plate compound, days which, as they draw to a close, beat you mercilessly over the head and demand that you eat, lest you wither away malnourished. The problem with these kinds of days is that they’re just the ones that sap you of the mental processing power required to come up with a recipe, much less cook it. That’s why I’d like to follow the lead of Molly at , and come up with my own personal — a go-to list of standby favorites. Never again shall I go hungry at the end of a somewhat exasperating day.
The thing is, yesterday I had no such list. What I did have was a whole lot of rhubarb, and absolutely no desire to slap a skillet down on the stovetop. Frustrated by my recent experience with rhubarb sweets, I thought I’d go in a slightly different direction. The rhubarb salad recipe below is simple, with a nice contrast of sweet and tart flavors, and the crunch of walnuts and fennel playing nicely off the smooth, creamy chèvre. Plus, it took at most 20 minutes to put together, and after a hard day, there isn’t much better than a quick, tasty meal.
And the next time an exasperating day rears its ugly head, I’ll have my CILTE list at the ready.
Rhubarb Salad with Fennel and Goat Cheese
Adapted from Everyday Food
Try to get the freshest, youngest salad greens you can. Bagged mesclun mixes are tough, and will amplify the tannic properties of the walnuts and rhubarb, but fresh baby greens will be sweet and soft on the tongue. This salad would also taste great with halved red grapes — or strawberries, when they’re in season — or a swap of sunflower seeds for the walnuts.
Serves 4
3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
About a pound of baby salad greens, the fresher the better
1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the rhubarb with the honey on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on upper rack until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool. On another rimmed baking sheet, or in a pan on the stovetop (but keep your eye on ‘em), toast walnuts until fragrant, 5 minutes.
Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the salad greens and fennel to a large bowl, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Toss to combine. Top with rhubarb, walnuts, and goat cheese.