The summer season is nearing its end and my herbs are going to seed (flowering) and basically looking a little ragged from a long summer of producing fresh herbs for cooking and baking.
I let my basil go early (I made batches of pesto and used it in so many recipes) and the honey bees are just loving all those beautiful flowers. You can prevent basil from flowering by continuously cutting it back and not allowing it to flower. Hard to do when these little guys are enjoying it so much!
Such delicate wings but so effective…
The weather is still beautiful – in the high 70’s today. But not for long as a cold front coming through will bring temps down to 60’s and even the 50’s.
I am not quite ready to think “Fall” and made this salad with the last of my basil and mint along with “summer” fruits. The watermelon was delicious and so was the cantaloupe but the honeydew was a little hard and lacking in flavor. It did however provide some color to this salad. The Mint/Basil vinaigrette made up for any loss in flavor of the honeydew.
Melon Halloumi Salad with Mint/Basil Vinaigrette
Recipe by Gaby Dalton, slightly adapted
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped to taste
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil (I used 3/4 cup) add more if you want it creamier
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt (I used only 1/2 tsp.) the Halloumi cheese is very salty
- cantaloupe, cubed or scooped into balls
- honeydew, cubed or scooped into balls
- watermelon, cubed or scooped into balls
- halloumi cheese
- 2 tsp. olive oil for frying (I used only 1 tsp.)
- Maldon sea salt to garnish (I did not add)
- fresh black pepper to taste
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a blender and blend well for 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings and add more oil if needed.
Combine the different melons on a large plate or bowl.
Dry the halloumi and cube it. Fry in a tsp. of olive oil until brown; turn and brown the other side.
Add the halloumi to the salad and drizzle with the Mint/Basil Vinaigrette.
Serve right away…
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Yes indeed Judi…time to say goodbye to summer…Love the fried halloumi in your salad and topped witht he pesto it must taste amazing!
Thanks Shy – fried halloumi is always good – just a little salty but pairs well with the sweetness of the fruit 🙂
Love the combination of different types of melons. They pair so well with cheese. Definitely my kind of salad. 🙂
It’s so great to see these happy bees, They have lots of problems lately.. 🙁
Two of the melons were tasty but the honeydew was beyond its prime! The halloumi was perfect along with the mint/basil vinaigrette. I’ve had so many bees every day – it’s fun to watch them – not many flowers are left and the bees will be gone. I don’t use any chemicals – just pick off any bad bugs 🙂
It is indeed very sad that bees are struggling so much these days. Without them we would have a very serious problem with our food. Glad at least some of them have found a safe haven in your garden! 🙂
Very good!😍😍😍
Thank you – the salad was very refreshing 🙂
What a gorgeous salad – wish I loved melon! And I am glad to see your basil is “bee-sy”; cute little critters until they decide to feast on you!
Thanks – the bees don’t bother me – they have better things to do like gathering pollen for their hives to feed the baby bees 🙂
I have a friend who comes to town and stays with me one night 3 out of 4 weeks. The good thing is that she eats just about everything, unlike my husband, and so it’s fun to cook a nice meal for her. My salad for this wednesday is so similar to yours, but with prosciutto and buratta instead of halloumi. But I might change up the vinaigrette i was planning to serve, because I absolutely love what you created. And the salad is so pretty!
I made a pasta dish with buratta, prosciutto and tomatoes – delicious combination.
The fruit was sweet and juicy and combined with the salty halloumi and mint/basil vinaigrette it was just a delight to eat. I think I prefer all basil versus adding a little fresh mint to the vinaigrette. Have fun with your friend – love to cook for people like that.
That looks divine! I usually do feta in my melon salads. I’m going to try halloumi next time!
Thanks Jennifer – fresh melon, salty halloumi and basil vinaigrette – can’t get any better than that 🙂
Looks really good, and I love halloumi!
Thanks Zeba – I love halloumi especially when it is fried!
Melon makes me smile, so I know I’d be smiling between every bite. 😍🍂
Thanks – funny how food gets different reactions – I will miss the sweetness of the melons as the fall/winter melons are not very tasty 🙂