Roasted Vegetable Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette

I had a version of this salad for lunch at the North End Cafe in Louisville a few summers ago with my friend Jamie. It was so good that it's been in the back of my mind ever since, and a few nights ago I decided to recreate it.

The original salad had salad greens; roasted peppers, squash, and mushrooms; toasted sunflower seeds; goat cheese; and champagne vinaigrette.

My salad employed what I had on hand--broccoli, asparagus, and butternut squash roasted with salt and pepper; toasted walnuts; and some lemon-tarragon vinaigrette I bought on sale. I suppose you could make your own dressing by mixing together lemon juice, zest, dried or fresh tarragon, a little dijon mustard, and olive oil.

To make the salad:

2 handfuls herb salad greens (or any other salad green)
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1/3 of a butternut squash, peeled, and then cut crosswise and into half-moons
1/3 lb. asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
salt & pepper
olive oil
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
lemon-tarragon dressing, prepared or homemade

Cut up the vegetables and place in a roasting dish with enough olive oil, salt and pepper to coat the vegetables. Roast at 375 degrees for half an hour or 45 minutes, or until squash is tender and lightly browned. Cool until just slightly warm.

To assemble: place a handful of greens on a plate. Arrange roasted vegetables on top of greens. Crumble goat cheese over top of vegetables, sprinkle on walnuts. Dress the salad with the lemon-tarragon dressing.

Serves 2.