The last of the summer salads..

I must say I am a bit sad to see our summer going this year, I know it has been one of the hardest summers for farming that we have faced in a while with the drought greatly affecting our farming business. But despite the fact that we are feeding out already and knowing that winter for us is going to be a long hard fight, there is a sadness for me that those lovely warm evenings with a cold drink and friends by the BBQ are over for another year.
This salad is on one of the platters that the farmer made for our wedding (blog on that to come) and the succulent tomatoes came from the farmers parents abundant glasshouse.
On a bright sunny day, (even a slightly chilly autumn one) there is something about savouring those last bursts of summer flavour and reflecting on what has been a pretty busy summer.
Now one must get excited about the scrummy comfort food that the colder months will bring....

INGREDIENTS:
Salad:

• A mixture of lettuce types (I used mescaline, iceberg and fancy for a bit of colour)
• 1 carrot, grated 
• 6 tomatoes
• 1 red capsicum, sliced finely
• 1 yellow capsicum, sliced finely
• 2 avocados, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• Green sprouts

Lemon vinaigrette:

• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 to 4 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD
Make your vinaigrette first. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, and sea salt, whisking until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is well blended (this is a bit tricky, if you have a small bottle or jug it makes it easier as you want to do this as SLOWLY as possible. Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, whisk in the remaining oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Set aside.

Take all of the salad ingredients and toss together in a large mixing bowl to combine. Now drizzle over the dressing and gently toss the dressing through, if your avocado is a bit soft then you may want to add it last.
Arrange your salad on your serving platter or bowl and serve alongside the meat that is on the menu.
TIPS:

• You can make the vinaigrette ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container, it will last up to 3 days.
• Add garlic to the dressing for extra flavour

Enjoy xx
A