As a Los Angeles native, I am very familiar with chopped salads. It seems like the City of Angeles is famous for them. La Scala began the craze with a chickpea, salami, cheese and lettuce chopped salad over 50 years ago. Then there was the famous Brown Derby Cobb salad made of chopped iceberg lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, bacon and chopped egg. Both salads are still on U.S. menus across the country. Here is my take on chopped salad that I make for late summer and early fall.

In this quintessential California salad, the shrimp and most accompanying ingredients are grilled and slightly charred, chopped and combined into a lightly smoky medley. I prefer this dish lightly chilled because I find the vegetables keep their individual texture that way, but you could serve this warm.

Serve with crusty French rolls, olive bread or cheese bread as an accompaniment. Try a spicy sauvignon blanc or a dry chenin blanc that offers an attractive contrast to the richness of the shrimp.

For a lighter beginning to your meal, you can serve the salad as a vegetarian dish. The shrimp makes for a more substantial main course. And feel free to substitute chicken or steak for the shrimp.