ROASTED GRAPE AND HALLOUMI SALAD

Its the time of year when the summer season draws to a close.  Long, hot days slowly fade to cool nights and the nostalgia for fall sets in.  Our minds start to daydream about cool weather, colored leaves and pumpkins – but my heart still wants to hold on to the fruits of summer.  Feeling torn, I decided to make the most of the final days of summer fruit and hence, this roasted grape and halloumi salad was born.

Combining roasted grapes and pan seared halloumi over some locally grown salad greens was a simple way to savor the last of our black grape harvest.  Roasting grapes with olive oil & rosemary turns them into luxurious jewels that perfectly compliment the salty and crispy pan seared halloumi. Traditionally made from a blend of goat’s & sheep’s milk, halloumi is a semi-hard Greek cheese from the island of Cyprus- with a high melting point that makes it perfect for frying or grilling.

Its meals like this that remind me that as much as we grow tired of the heat of summer, it is the very same heat that makes many of our favorite foods possible. Taking a lesson from nature, we see that the most extreme conditions have the potential to promote growth that yields beautiful fruit- its all in your perspective.

Eating with the seasons changes the way you approach food and life in general- you learn to make the most of what you are given.  Seasonal eating has stirred a great appreciation in my soul- for it is the absence of my favorite produce of one season that makes my heart grow fonder for its return the following year.

So before you hurry into all things fall, make the most of the end of summer & enjoy a roasted grape and halloumi salad.