Spatulatta.com Fennel and Mandarin Salad With all the heavy food that is traditional on Thanksgiving we thought we would make a light, refreshing salad that would set your tastebuds up for the main event. Fennel is a crisp vegetable that has a slight licorice taste. The seeds of this plant are used to flavor Italian sausage and we're using them in the stuffed mushrooms that appear in this episode. Makes 6-8 servings You'll need: 2-3 mandarin or regular oranges - peeled and sliced in rounds 1 fennel bulb - washed and sliced in rounds 1 red onion - sliced in rounds 1 head of Boston lettuce 3-4 leaves of red leaf lettuce 4 -5 sprigs of flat Italian parsley Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons of olive oil A little adult help Equipment: Measuring spoons A large serving plate Salad spinner or paper towels Wash and dry the lettuce in a spinner or by laying it out on paper towels. Tear it into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on the plate. Arrange the slices of orange, onion and fennel on the lettuce. Garnish with sprigs of parsely Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt and a little pepper on top. Drizzle the olive oil around the whole salad and serve.