This could possibly be the simplest and most exciting recipe we’ve ever created. It is also quite versatile (which we love), as it can be served as a starter, light main, or even as dessert! It combines two of our favourite ingredients, grapes and halloumi cheese.
Grapes are the ultimate September ingredient, and the ideal way to say goodbye to summer flavours and get ready for autumn! We love grapes as a snack, as part of our morning porridge or in salads. But they are also fantastic when roasted in the oven! The first time we tried them, following an old Jamie Oliver recipe, we were in awe. The result is a dense, complex sweet flavour, so intense and wonderful. In this recipe, we’ve used the sultanina variety, the light green ones, but you can use whatever you can find.
Roasted grapes pair perfectly with halloumi’s mellow saltiness. We’ve used our traditional Cypriot halloumi cheese, that is made exclusively with goat’s milk. A semi-hard, bright cheese, with a mellow flavour and hints of mint. Perfect for your salads, but also, as you know, it is delicious when roasted, as in this recipe.
To bring everything together, we’ve used our grape molasses and extra virgin olive oil, along with some dried thyme. The result is indeed magical, and let us not forget, perfect with a white crisp Greek wine!
So join us, let’s get back into the kitchen and deal with summer blues in the only way we know: cooking.
Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grape molasses
300g grapes on the vine
150g halloumi cheese
a pinch of dried thyme
Preheat the oven at 200C.
In a shallow baking dish, place the grapes on the vine. Cut the halloumi cheese in small cubes and scatter between and around the grapes. Drizzle the olive oil, grape molasses and sprinkle the thyme.
Bake for approximately 30min, or until everything is nicely roasted and there’s a lovely juice at the bottom of your dish. Serve with crusty bread, drizzling the leftover juice over the grapes and halloumi.
Don’t forget the wine!
