Melon Salad with Grilled Halloumi. What’s Halloumi? Lucky us; there’s a cheese you can grill and it pairs perfectly with fruit. This is a good thing since this time of year I’m the one buying all the fruits and vegetables I’ve never heard of and trying them out, you know, for the sake of science and all. This week, there were tigger melons at the market, so naturally, I bought some. They’re gorgeous and a great addition to the Melon Salad with Grilled Halloumi, which is a really fun dish to do for a party to surprise and tantalize your guests. Either they won’t have heard of halloumi before, or if they have, they’ll already love it. So back to the question at hand. What is Halloumi? It is a cheese from Cyprus; it’s unripened and brined resulting in a firm texture that holds up on the grill, which also means, Melon Salad with Grilled Halloumi is perfect for a late summer Mediterranean meal.

Serves 4

8.5 ounce block halloumi; sliced into 8 pieces
4+ cups of melon cubes (I used a tigger melon, yellow and red watermelon)
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh mint (basil would be great too)
2 tablespoons white balsamic (or sugar + another light colored vinegars)

Make the melon salad by tossing the melon, mint and balsamic. Let stand at room temp for about an hour to absorb the balsamic and mint throughout.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high and sear the cheese on both sides. Serve with melon salad as an appetizer or on the plate with orzo salad and grilled chicken or shrimp.