Grilled peaches with tomato, feta and basil recipe
The only thing better than a perfectly ripe, plump and juicy peach is a perfectly ripe, plump and juicy peach that’s been caramelised on the barbecue grill. This bright and zingy salad more than proves the point; here lightly burnished peaches are paired with creamy, tangy feta cheese and juicy, tender tomatoes.
The result is a dish that only calls for a few ingredients and comes together in no time, yet sings with simplicity and seasonality. Bright, beautiful and packed with flavour, it works brilliantly as both a barbecue starter or side.
The recipe is one of many interesting, ever so slightly unusual grilled dishes featured in The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor. The former chef and grill expert walks readers through all the barbecue basics (including building your own barbecue kit) and shares over 50 recipes that show that there’s more to barbecues than burgers, bangers and big bits of meat (although he provides excellent tips and recipes for those, too).
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select ‘Cups’.
Ingredients
- 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine, white wine or cider vinegar
- 0.5 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 ripe peaches, stoned and cut into quarters
- 500 g tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces (a mix of colours and sizes is nice)
- 1 small bunch basil, leaves picked
- 200 g feta or buffalo mozzarella, cut or crumbled into small pieces
- 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Details
- Cuisine: International
- Recipe Type: Barbecue
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 10 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the barbecue to a medium heat.
- Mix half the oil and all of the vinegar together in a bowl. Stir in the red onion, add salt and pepper to taste, then set aside to macerate.
- In another bowl, gently toss the peaches in the remaining oil with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place the peaches on the grill, cut side down, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side until lightly charred.
- Spread the tomatoes out over a large serving platter and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top with the grilled peaches and the macerated red onions, reserving the liquid to use as a dressing.
- Stir half the basil through the dressing and spoon over the salad.
- Scatter over the crumbled feta or buffalo mozzarella and the remaining basil leaves, and serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor (Quadrille, £20). Photography by Sam Folan.
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