Holiday Salads
Imagine planning a supper as big as the typical holiday meal every Sunday.
When Jo Marie Scaglia, owner of Kansas City, Mo.'s Mixx, 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, Mo., for 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.”
Marinated feta1 pound block feta cheese1 cup extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup roughly chopped or torn fresh basil½ teaspoon black pepperSalad2 cups sliced fennel (halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise with a sharp knife)¾ cup chopped feathery fennel fronds1 ¾ cups pitted whole Italian oiled-cured black olives (substitute Kalamata if desired)8 navel oranges, divided use6 blood oranges or ruby red grapefruit½ cup extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup red wine vinegar1 teaspoon honey¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepperTo marinate the feta: Cube feta in ½-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.
