I couldn't let spring pass me by without sharing a rhubarb recipe. I love a good rhubarb crumb bar or cake. But with its tart character, rhubarb naturally lends itself to savory dishes. I've been enjoying rhubarb chutney for dals and this spring rhubarb curry is on my list to make soon.

But first, a rhubarb salad! We make this for Sunday lunch after our morning trip to the farmer's market. There's something special about immediately preparing and eating the vegetables you bring home from the market. It's as close to farm-to-table eating as you can get if you don't have your own garden.

Inspired by the roasted rhubarb salad made by the talented Daniela of Farmhouse Lab, rhubarb is sliced and gets a very quick roast towards the end of the beets' roasting period. It takes only minutes to soften. (I also like to very thinly slice some of the rhubarb and reserve as a raw addition to the salad, but that's optional.) The cooked beets and rhubarb are then layered over tender butter lettuce leaves and topped with crunchy fennel, toasted pine nuts, feta and a vinaigrette.

Linked below are two vinaigrettes on the blog. I've played around with variations for this salad. Pictured is the French vinaigrette, using balsamic instead of apple cider vinegar that's called for. However, I recommend using apple cider vinegar or even a red or white wine vinegar for this salad. They cut through the earthy sweetness of the roasted beets better.

Roasted Rhubarb & Beet Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts

Serves 4
Notes: Recipe calls for cooking beets in foil packets for a steam method and easier cleanup. Alternatively, they can be roasted directly on the sheet pan or steamed on the stove top. Any leftover cooked rhubarb can be smashed and mixed into a vinaigrette or sauce. It contributes an additional layer of tartness beyond the citrus or vinegar.

2 medium beets, quartered and sliced into thin wedges
4 medium stalks of rhubarb, ends peeled away like celery, stalk sliced in 1/4" pieces
Extra virgin-olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 small bulb fennel, halved, cored and thinly sliced
A head of butter lettuce (or another tender but sturdy Spring lettuce)
Handful of pine nuts, toasted (slivered almonds or pistachios work well, too)
Feta, crumbled
Dressing (either this classic French or Raspberry vinaigrette, with or without tarragon)

Preheat oven to roast at 425 F /220 C. Place beet wedges from one beet in the middle of a large sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Bring long ends of foil together and fold down. Fold in short sides to create a sealed steam packet. Repeat with second beet. Place the two foil packets on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.
Place sliced rhubarb in a medium baking dish. Make sure they have room to spread out in a single layer. Lightly drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven the remaining 8 minutes of cook time for beets. You want them to be just cooked, but still retain their shape.
In the meantime, make dressing and prepare the platter. Tear off whole leaves of butter lettuce. Wash, then place on a large platter or plate. Top with roasted beets and rhubarb, then raw fennel. Drizzle over dressing, finish with pine nuts and feta.