This salad has pure holiday vibes written all over it. Teamed with rich extra virgin olive oil, fresh and dried herbs, the citrus-y heat of pul biber, and the mild acidity of the white wine vinegar lacing the crunchy salad vegetables, this is one salad that brings summery joy in every mouthful.

Method:

• Add 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil to a small frying pan and place on the hob over a low-medium heat. Once hot, fry the pine nuts for a couple of minutes, stirring them frequently until evenly golden brown and glistening, then take the pan off the heat. Set to one side.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cubes of white cheese with 2 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp of the dried mint, the pul biber, black pepper and the lemon zest. Set to one side.
• Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, kapya biber, lettuce, fresh mint and parsley to a large bowl and toss together well with 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and all of the white wine vinegar or grape vinegar.
• It’s important to do this first so that the vinegar and lemon juice do not water down the dressing after you add the oil.
• Drizzle the remaining extra virgin olive oil over the salad, toss well, then add the red onion, black olives and pine nuts, the remaining dried mint and toss again. Add the marinated cubes of white cheese to the salad, gently toss and serve immediately.

Note: If you can source Ezine peyniri, a white cheese from Ezine, in North-Western Turkey, then it really is the best cheese to use in this salad. It’s creamy and less crumbly than most brined white cheeses, and has an intense, tangy flavour, and yet, is not overpowering at all.

Adapted from Dinner Tonight (Ebury Press)