Summer’s best grilled peach and halloumi salad

Peaches and cheese a match made in heaven!

I remember the first time I tasted grilled fresh fruit – it was pineapple – and I was so excited, knowing it opened up a whole new realm of delicious possibilities for recipe development. In this salad, fresh peaches and squeaky, salty halloumi make a delectable combination, whether you grill them or crisp them up in a cast iron pan on the stove. If you have never tried halloumi, a semi-soft, brined, salty cheese that hails from the eastern Mediterranean, you’re in for a real treat. It’s got a high melting point which makes it ideal for grilling – you can get the outside nice and crispy, yet the slices will still hold together and be soft on the inside. Feel free to play around with this basic recipe – swap in arugula for the parsley, or add a dash of balsamic if you like!

Ingredients

• 4 fresh, ripe peaches, cut in eighths
• 1 package (9 ounces/250 grams) halloumi, in 1/3 inch (.8 cm) slices
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
• generous handful fresh parsley leaves
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey
• salt, pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped pistachios

Method

• Preheat a grill pan on the barbeque, set to medium-high. (Alternatively, you can also use a large cast iron frying pan).
• Put the peach wedges in a small bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Transfer the peaches into the grill pan and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until slightly softened and a few char marks are visible on the fruit. Remove the peaches to a serving platter.
• Put the halloumi slices in the same bowl that the peaches were in and drizzle remaining oil over top.
• Lay the slices on the grill pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side, until nicely crusty.
• Add the cheese to the peaches along with the parsley.
• Drizzle honey and squeeze lemon juice over top and toss gently to combine. Finish by sprinkling with salt and pepper as well as chopped pistachios.

Serves 4 and can easily be multiplied.