Having just returned from a trip to Jolly Olde England where the weather was scorching, I was looking forward to some cooling Colorado mountain breezes; no so. Equally scorching here.

Grilled halloumi cheese (the squeakiest cheese on the planet) is a very popular vegetarian option in the UK and given the current heat on both sides of the Atlantic, chilled watermelon has to be the fruit of choice right now.

Greek salad has always been a favorite of mine so here’s a high-summery version that replaces the  tomatoes with watermelon and feta with grilled halloumi.

Absolutely delicious!

Greek Salad with Watermelon & Grilled Halloumi Cheese

GREEK SALAD WITH WATERMELON & GRILLED HALLOUMI

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 good handfuls of crisp lettuce, shredded

1 small red onion, sliced very thinly

1/2 a seedless watermelon cut into 1″ (2cm) chunks

1 English hot house cucumber

A handful of pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and halved

A block of halloumi cheese – drained, sliced thinly and patted dry

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons of wine vinegar

A few fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces

A few fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Heat a heavy, ridge-based pan (preferably cast iron) and when it’s hot pour in a little high-temp cooking oil (such as avocado, grapeseed, coconut). Sear the halloumi slices until they’re scored golden brown, about 2 minutes each side – set aside.

Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon – cut it into smallish slices.

Toss everything together, except for the grilled cheese and fresh herbs. Arrange the cheese on top and scatter the mint and oregano over everything.

Serve right away.