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Healthy Matters with Hayley Marie Locally supported by NZ Farm Shop |
This is the time of year where summer vegetables are in abundance in our backyards, fruit and veg stalls and farmers markets.
My favourite is the good old zucchini, which is so versatile with their mild sweet flavour – not just in savoury dishes, but sweet as well.
Make sure you pick them young as they have thinner skins and a much sweeter flavour. You have to keep a close eye on them as they tend to double in size overnight.
This delicious zucchini and haloumi salad just screams summer and I'm excited to share this one with you.
Zucchini and haloumi summer salad
Ingredients
6 medium-sized zucchini, 
halved lengthways
4 tablespoons garlic oil
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tbsp of toasted pine nuts
Zest of 1 lemon
1 packet (250g)
of haloumi
10 fresh
basil leaves
Method
1. Coat Zucchinis in a good dollop of garlic oil and half of the salt and pepper. Place on a very hot grill pan or barbecue grill (about gas mark 5-6) for about 1 minute each side (the zucchini should be still firm with chargrill lines on them).
Cut into large chunks on angle and place in a bowl.
2. Toss the cut zucchini with another good drizzle of garlic oil, toasted pinenuts, the remaining salt and pepper and the zest on one lemon. Set aside while you cook the haloumi.
3. Cut the haloumi into thick slices and fry in a hot pan until the sides are golden. Add to the zucchini mixture along with torn basil leaves.
4. Serve as a warm side salad at your summer barbecues or top with pan fried fish for a Friday night treat.
Product of the Week
If you are looking for something new and out-of-this-world tasty, get your hands on Monavale Organic Blueberry Powder. I have been putting it in everything, from my smoothies and natural yoghurt to my cheesecake bases.
The options are endless and the best bit is there are no additives or preservatives, and it's made just over the hill in Cambridge. You can pick some up today from The New Zealand Farm Shop on Domain Road, Papamoa.