I kind of looked up and realized that this is the last week of summer. Um, that was enough to just freak me out.

Where did the Summer go?? Whaaaaat hapenned!!!

It actually was dark around 8 last night. Here in Seattle there was still light in the sky as late as 10PM all summer. And today, while it was in the low seventies, there was a distinct crispness to the air, and the wind has been really blowing for days. It is undeniable that fall is right around the corner.

So for the last remaining week, I will try to hold on to Summer!

I went down to my pretty little vegetable garden and harvested the last of the veggies, realizing that I will soon have to clear out all of the dying remains and prepare the soil again for the fall. What the….??

I found lettuces, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and fresh herbs. I also found cucumbers, avocado and fresh corn in my produce drawer. I thought that I would make a pretty chopped salad to use up all the gorgeous late summer produce. I also happened to have some beautiful smoked trout that I added to the salad. If you have never tried smoked trout- look out! It is SO good!!

If you are not into trout, then maybe look into adding salmon or grilled chicken or steak- those would be great too!

To make the salad, this is what you do:

In a small container or mason jar combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Shake to combine and season to taste.

On a large cutting board, pile all of your lettuces and vegetables.

Using a large knife, chop everything up to a desired size (bite sized- not too small!)

Add to a bowl and toss with just enough dressing to coat the vegetables and lettuce.

Serve in bowls and add the protein to the top.