This salad is going to be returning to my Thanksgiving menu.  Salad is one of those things that, in my opinion, is pretty superfluous for Thanksgiving Day.  I like salad myself, but I know a lot of people eat salad because they feel obligated.  And why feel obligated to eat something you don’t really want to on the best food holiday of the year?  But this salad is different, it’s special.  First of all, it’s ridiculously simple to make, just a few slices and dices and your salad is ready to go.  But most importantly, this salad is a spectacular palate cleanser.  The orange and fennel and simple vinaigrette combine like magic to wash away the heaviness of the meal.  You know how it is- you place a huge scoop of everything on your plate, and halfway through, you start to feel as though your taste buds have had enough, they’re ready for a break.  And that’s where this salad comes in.  It cuts straight through all the heaviness and perks those taste-buds right back to where they belong so that you can finish your meal with full enjoyment- rather than the drudgery of simply cleaning your plate.

Since the first oranges of the season are rolling in, I’ll likely be using them for the salad, but I suspect that if you simply did not have tasty oranges at your disposal, that a few handfuls of canned mandarin oranges would do the trick as well.  In that case, then, I would grab a small carton of regular orange juice to use in the vinaigrette.  If you don’t like fennel… well, I can’t think of a good subsitution that would cleanse the palate like this does.  Perhaps a coleslaw that’s made with vinegar instead of salad dressing?

How about you?  Is salad on your turkey day dinner?

Fennel and Orange Salad

from Everyday Food, November 2006

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper (I used grey salt)
5 navel oranges
3 to 4 fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds total) ends trimmed and cored, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.

2, Using a sharp knife, slice off both ends of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, cut away the peel and the pith. Halve orange from top to bottom; thinly slice crosswise. Transfer oranges, along with any juices that have accumulated on the work surface, to bowl with dressing. Add fennel and, if desired, fronds. Toss to combine.

Serves 8.