Warm, long days and the first harvests make June perfect for outdoor feasts, with Rukmini Iyer’s fresh strawberry and halloumi salad taking centre stage
grow & cook
What a perfect month to spend in the garden. Hopefully all your hard work over the past months has paid off and you’ll be rewarded with broad beans, early strawberries and perhaps even some baby carrots and spring onions.
I was inspired to start more vertical growing a few months ago (it hides how wobbly and in need of painting the fences are) and it’s both decorative and wonderful to lean in to pick fat bean pods, with hopefully a few apples swelling on the espaliered tree. There’s no sign of fruit from my vigorous balcony-transplanted passion flower, but I live in hope that it might yet produce some.
And if you’re not busy outside gardening, what could be nicer than lighting up the barbecue for lazy gatherings with a few friends? My go-to barbecue dish at the moment is eggy crumpets with cheese, homegrown sage and chilli – perfect with an Aperol Spritz.
Strawberry salad with grilled halloumi, cucumber & mint
I love the combination of sweet strawberries against the salty halloumi and the lemon and mint dressing in this refreshing, flavour-packed salad – substantial enough to serve by itself, or as part of a mezze spread. You can cook the halloumi on the barbecue if you have it going already, or alternatively in a griddle pan.
SERVES: 4 as a starter, 2 as a main
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
FOR THE SALAD
■ ½ red onion, finely sliced
■ ½ lemon, juice only
■ 225g-250g good halloumi
■ 3 handfuls strawberries, halved
■ ¾ cucumber, cut in large chunks
■ Large handful garden mint,
roughly chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
■ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
■ 1 tablespoon honey
■ ½ lemon, juice and zest
■ Pinch sea salt flakes
■ Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD 1 Mix the sliced red onion and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
2 Meanwhile, heat your griddle pan to high and lay the slices of halloumi on it. (Alternatively, if barbecuing, do the same once your barbecue is good and hot.) Griddle for two minutes on each side until nicely striped and charred (keep an eye on the barbecue and flip earlier if needed).
3 Tip the halloumi into a shallow bowl with the strawberries, cucumber, mint and lemon-drenched red onion. Pour over the dressing, then stir gently to mix. Taste and adjust the lemon juice, salt and honey to your preference, and serve immediately.
Other flavours from the plot
