Pear Salad with Haloumi, Parmesan, Slivers of Date and Toasted Pine Nuts

Use fresh, supple dates and serve the salads immediately they are topped with fried haloumi. This makes an exquisite starter. Follow with fish or a pasta dish.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• salt and flaky sea salt
• 3 perfectly ripe fragrant pears (or ripe peaches or nectarines)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 cups trimmed rocket leaves
• 1 cos lettuce, trimmed, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup small mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil
• 250g haloumi, cut into 5mm slices
• butter
• small wedge of parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh dates, pits removed and cut into slivers
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Method

Heat a smidgen of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add pine nuts. Toast briefly until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Peel pears, cut in half and remove cores. Slice finely, then toss gently with a little lemon juice. Put rocket leaves in a bowl with cos and mint. Whisk together lemon-infused olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ¼ of a teaspoon of salt and pour over salad greens. Arrange greens on plates.

Pat haloumi dry with paper towels. Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. When sizzling, add haloumi. Cook until golden. Arrange on top of salads. Top with pear slices. Shave over a little parmesan and scatter with pine nuts and date slivers.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges.