You can of course vary all the components of this salad - this version was dictated by the fact that I misjudged the closing time of my local supermarket and so was limited to what I had in the house and could find in the small local deli. Initially I had planned to include a fennel bulb and watercress and other vegetables, and to use an uncooked crumbly goats cheese rather than the haloumi and lemon. I think it turned out well this way, but you can experiment with what you have at hand. I do think it is important though to use Puy lentils rather than normal brown or green ones, which can be a bit muddy when cooked like this. Ted and I ate this for dinner with bread and red wine and nothing else, and this amount should serve 4 this way. Alternatively, you could serve it as a side salad with a frittata, or a spinach pie, or whatever.

Peel and seed the pumpkin, and cut into pieces 2 x 2 x 1 cm. Peel four of the garlic cloves and slice roughly. Chop the capsicums into pieces 2 x 2 cm. Peel the outer skin of the red onion. Trim the top but leave the bottom intact. Slice into eight wedges, each wedge held together at the base. Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise, then into slices about 2 cm across.

Toss the pumpkin in a large baking dish with some olive oil and bake at 180C. After 10 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables except the garlic, a good glug of vinegar, and salt and pepper and stir well, then return to the oven. After another 20 minutes, add the garlic and stir in with some more olive oil or vinegar if it looks necessary. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked and a bit browned.

Meanwhile, rinse the lentils and drain. Put in a saucepan with the peeled and halved remaining garlic clove, cover well with water and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain and discard the garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of wine vinegar. Mix the lentils and vegetables in a wide shallow serving bowl.

Have the haloumi ready cut into squares 1.5 x 1.5 x 1 cm. Once the lentils and vegetables are ready, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frypan and cook the cheese for a minute or two until it is softened and slightly brown. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. Tip over the lentil and vegetable mixture and mix through, along with the torn herbs. Taste for seasoning, and add salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Serve at once.