Asparagus with halloumi and sweet potatoes

How can it be that the British asparagus season is nearly over? The miserable weather meant that it was so late in getting started this year, I've not made half my favourite dishes.

The official end of picking is the longest day on June 21. I'm hoping that the late start to the season will mean that farmers pick for a bit longer, but that might just be wishful thinking.

While steaming is my all-round favourite way to cook asparagus, I also love it griddled - the flavour seems more concentrated, and the seared stripes add smokiness to the flavour, as if it's been cooked on a barbecue.

This time I've tried something new - asparagus with sweet potatoes and halloumi. The idea of matching it with sweet potatoes came from Food for Friends in Brighton, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant where I ate asparagus with crispy oyster mushrooms, cumin-roast sweet potato and a carrot, parsnip and pickled ginger galette.

My dish is much simpler - and more suited to being thrown together after you get home from work - but took the idea of matching fresh green asparagus with the sweetness of the root veg. Then I added halloumi - a mild, salty cheese that really shines when it is grilled. The saltiness works well with the sweet potato, and grilling the asparagus gave it smoky notes that harmonised with the cheese and contrasted nicely with the sweet potato.

Finally, I made a simple tomato and mint salsa for extra colour and freshness on the plate.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 sweeet potatoes
8-10 stalks of British asparagus, trimmed
10 cherry tomatoes
1 small piece of onion - just a slice will do
Six mint leaves
75g (3oz) halloumi
1 tsp vegetable oil (optional)

Method

Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, place on a non-stick baking tray and bake in a medium oven until soft and browned (about half an hour). You can brush the wedges with the oil before baking, if you wish, but I don't bother.

Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into quarters, finely chop the onion and mint leaves, season and stir together.

Heat a grill pan and place the asparagus on it. Cook over a medium heat without stirring or turning for the first 4-5 minutes. Once the asparagus is marked with black where it has touched the pan, turn it over and repeat. Cook for about 10 minutes in all or until the asparagus is tender.

Slice the halloumi and add it to the griddle pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until it is softened and has suntanned stripes.

Assemble by placing the asparagus on top of the sweet potato, add the halloumi and spoon the salsa around the edge of the plate.