Thanksgiving salad: Nana’s Orange, Fennel and Olive Salad With Marinated Feta
Imagine planning a supper as big as the typical Thanksgiving meal every Sunday.
When Jo Marie Scaglia was growing up, her Italian Nana’s (pronounced nah-nah) orange salad with licorice-y fennel and oil-cured olives was a Sunday family dinner staple. The menu typically included three meats, three or four sides and enough desserts to feed between 20 and 45 people.
“There was just always a plethora of food,” Scaglia says. “Coming from a restaurant family (her father owned Mario’s in Westport for many years), we always cook enough for an army, or a few states. And we don’t sit around and talk politics. We talk meatballs and cannolis.”
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Scaglia, who is named for her paternal grandma Josephine, entered the family business and has become known as the “salad queen.”
Tips: Prep in advance so you can “dump, toss and be done.” If it’s below 41 degrees, use the outdoors as your second refrigerator.
Remember, a meal “doesn’t need to look perfect. Let food do its natural thing.”
Wine notes
A salad that has lively acidity (all that citrus) and saltiness too requires wines of a similar bent. I’ll admit to being fanatical about a certain Greek wine from the island of Santorini (the wine is helpfully called Santorini too): Boutari, Gaia and Sigalas are the top names. If Greek wine is too out there, try Spanish Albariño instead.
— Doug Frost, Special to The Star
Nana’s Orange, Fennel and Olive Salad With Marinated Feta
Makes 8 to 12 servings
MARINATED FETA:
1 pound block feta cheese
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup roughly chopped or torn fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
SALAD:
2 cups sliced fennel (halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise with a sharp knife)
3/4 cup chopped feathery fennel fronds
1 3/4 cups pitted whole Italian oiled-cured black olives (substitute Kalamata if desired)
8 navel oranges, divided use
6 blood oranges or ruby red grapefruit
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
To marinate the feta: Cube feta in 1/2 -inch squares and place in mixing bowl. Pour olive oil over feta. Add basil, season with pepper; gently toss and set aside.
To make the salad: Place sliced fennel, chopped fronds and olives in a large mixing bowl.
Place a navel orange on a cutting board; slice off both ends, then using a sharp knife, peel the rind away from the flesh of the fruit following the contours, removing the pith or white part with the skin. Using a paring knife, segment the orange by removing the flesh from the membrane. Place in the mixing bowl; repeat the process with 6 more navels and all the blood oranges.
Juice one navel orange. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad, tossing gently to combine. This salad can be made in advance and tossed before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
To serve: Place salad in a serving bowl. Serve marinated feta in a small serving bowl alongside the orange salad.
Per serving, based on 8: 503 calories (65 percent from fat), 38 grams total fat (12 grams saturated), 51 milligrams cholesterol, 35 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams protein, 963 milligrams sodium, 11 grams dietary fiber.
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Thanksgiving salad: Nana’s Orange, Fennel and Olive Salad With Marinated Feta."