Fried Halloumi and Fresh Peach Crostini

I haven’t cracked open my laptop in nearly a week, a record for me for sure. We’re away on our first official post-baby vacation and I’m one hundred percent committed to being focused on having fun with my family and relaxing, something that hasn’t happened much in the past 18 months.

We’ve been sleeping more than usual (I actually went to bed with Matthew at 7pm earlier this week, waking only long enough to scarf down a tiny bowl of pasta for dinner before drifting off to la-la-land again), eating our collective weight in local ice cream, and touring small, nearby towns in the afternoons before heading back to the cottage for happy hour snack time. It’s been simple living at it’s best, and we’re ready to head home and face the final few weeks of summer before school and a whole set of new routines begin (we’ll have two highschoolers in the house this year!).

I’m not here to talk your ear off about our holiday, though. I really just wanted to let you know about one of those snacks I mentioned above. The fried halloumi and fresh peach crostini, specifically, because I’m thinking you might have access to some local peaches this weekend and this is just the thing to make with them for a weekend of fresh, seasonal feasting.

To make this nibble, start with some olive oil-brushed baguette slices that are baked until golden and crisp. Top with slices of fried halloumi, a sturdy, brined cheese that holds its shape when heated, fresh local peach slices, torn basil, and black pepper. That’s all you need to make a late-summer bite worth sharing.

If I was home I may have embellished these a little with a bit of balsamic drizzle, but seeing as I don’t have access to a well-stocked pantry, I was stuck with what I had on hand in cottage country, and truth be told they were perfect as it. As you can see, even the littlest one in our crew decided he was a fan of what I put on the plate, officially earning the title of happy hour snacks thief.

P.S. I picked up my halloumi at a Mediterranean grocery store, but it's readily available in most major supermarkets these days.

 

Fried Halloumi and Fresh Peach Crostini

Serves 2-4

• ¼ baguette, sliced ¼-inch thick pieces (approx. 16 pieces)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 oz. halloumi
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 medium peaches, pitted and sliced ¼-inch thick
• 4-6 basil leaves, torn
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the crostini, preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange baguette slices on a large rimmed baking sheet; brush both sides with oil. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets.

2. To make the fried halloumi, drain the cheese and cut it into slices; cut the slab in half horizontally, then slice the cheese into batons. Pat very dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the slices of halloumi and cook for a few minutes without stirring, until the bottoms are well-browned. Flip the halloumi with a spatula, and brown them on the other sides. You’re looking for a nice golden brown colour for best flavour.

3. Transfer crostini to a plate and top each slice with a piece of the fried halloumi. Cover with peach pieces and scatter with torn basil. Season lightly with freshly ground pepper and serve.

Comments

[La Torontoise]

Jan! What a recipe! I am in France right now, in he peach country:-) a lt of basil on my local farmers'market; have all these ingredients and I'm making this mecstarter right now!! I'm so happy I found this post, it fits perfectly my day!
Have a great time in the cottge country!

[Jan Scott]

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the simple recipe as much as we did. :)

[La Torontoise]

Jan, we enjoyed it big time!
We are back at home now and the school year starts tomorrow.
Enjoy your last days before school!
All the best.

PS. Jan, very sorry for the typos in my previous message (my writing from mobile devices is terrible).

[Jan Scott]

So great to hear! Good luck with the school year and dont apologize for the typos - its always nice to hear from you!