Halloumi and Watermelon Salad

Living in Astoria, NY, it's impossible to take a step without hitting a Greek restaurant. It didn't take me long to find an affinity to the cuisine indigenous to my neighborhood, and after being a resident for six years and counting, there have been more than a few extraordinary discoveries.

But none get me quite as much as halloumi, a salty hard cheese made of goat and sheep's milk that comes to life when grilled or pan fried. After cooked, I usually enjoy this cheese with a dash of lemon juice or stuffed in a pita with tzatziki and all the toppings, but I heard that Cypriots particularly like halloumi with watermelon--and that idea had "perfect summer salad" written all over it.

There really isn't much to grilling halloumi, just slice and slap it on a hot grill until it blisters, then it's done. It's best while still warm, so I made sure to have the watermelon cut, tossed with a chifonade of fresh mint, before heading to the grill with the cheese.

As soon as the cheese was beautifully browned, I diced it, mixed it in with the watermelon and mint, and then added freshly ground black pepper to top it off. Despite the small list of the ingredients, every flavor was so unique that it became quite the complex salad; it was cool and warm, sweet and salty, spicy and minty, all of which combined to make a refreshing side that I can see fitting into almost any summer menu.