The weather is, for want of a better word, warm. I mean it’s raining as I write this, but there have been times when it wasn’t. It is the season of Big Plate Dinners For Two.
What is a Big Plate Dinner For Two? It’s a dinner for two people, served on a big plate. To fit weather like this, it should involve minimal actual cooking. In its ideal form, it involves a warm savoury thing sitting on top of a delicious cool thing, possibly with a crunchy thing sprinkled over the top. There are usually fresh herbs.
My favourite of the Big Plate Dinners For Two is this halloumi with peach salsa. I made it for the first time when we were in New York and I was confused and frightened by the heat. It was a better idea than what I’d done the last time I was in New York and appalled by the heat, which was to go out while martini-hungover and panic-spend all my dollars on jorts and a single tank top which I still own but will never wear.
Slice a block of halloumi into planks and fry/griddle/grill on both sides. While that’s happening, take some peaches (you can also use nectarines or apricots, in my experience). Ideally they should be fairly firm. Halve your peaches, remove the stone and roughly dice them. In a large bowl, add to your diced peaches plenty of sliced spring onions (or a diced red onion you’ve left to mellow in some lime juice and salt for a few minutes). If you have a crunchy fresh vegetable like radish or kohlrabi, I would encourage you to slice or dice them and add them for crunch and complexity.
Chop and add great quantities of fresh herbs – coriander, parsley, and mint are perfect here. It’s hard to overdo this step. Now: salt, pepper, olive oil, and lots of lime juice. Toss with abandon. Taste. How is it? You might want more lime, or more salt. If you have a jar of sumac to hand, a few pinches are perfect here. Toss again.
Pile the peach salsa on your big plate. Arrange your halloumi on top. Bring to the table. Eat and dream of autumn.
Incidentally: It doesn’t have to be halloumi. I’ve served this salsa with wedges of red cabbage dusted with ras al-hanout and roasted until charring and crisp at the edges. If you love a bit more crunch, some toasted hazelnuts are lovely here too.