Kale, halloumi & crispy pitta salad with roasted carrot yogurt

Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Wash and dry then trim and discard the carrot tops. Cut the carrots into 2cm pieces, place on a small baking tray, drizzle over a little olive oil and season with fine salt. Roast for 25-35 minutes, or until soft and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Once cooled, blitz the carrots in a food processor to a coarse purée then spoon into a bowl. Mix in the yogurt and tahini and season with a little more salt. Set aside to chill until required.

Reduce the oven to 170ºC, gas mark 3. Heat a large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add 3 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add the torn pitta and almonds. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring to ensure everything is coated in the oil. Season and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden and toasted. Stir in the sumac and leave to cool.

Place the barberries into a small bowl, pour boiling water over them, set aside to rehydrate for 15-20 minutes then drain and set aside again. Meanwhile, cut the halloumi in half where the natural fold is, then cut each half into 8 pieces. Put the kale in a large bowl, season with sea salt flakes and add the lemon juice. Massage the kale with your hands, then set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil followed by the halloumi. Fry on each side until it forms a golden crust. Adjust the heat to allow the halloumi to fry gently throughout the cooking process – too high and it will colour the outside without softening the middle, too low and it will boil in the pan. Serve warm.

Add the herbs, olives, barberries, pitta, almonds and warm halloumi to the kale. Dress the salad with a little extra seasoning, lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil, if needed. To serve, swirl the roasted carrot yogurt on the base of 4 plates, top with the salad and drizzle over the date nectar.