Grilled Nectarines with Feta & Honey Lemon Dressing
Summer is still going strong and so are nectarines and peaches! This is a simple BBQ side dish but the flavours are out of this world! Sweet, tart and salty all in one.
Grilled Nectarines with Feta & Honey Lemon Dressing Recipe
It was so hot here in Germany when I made this recipe last week! I couldn't get over it. Most of the summer has been rainy but then we were having a few really hot days. I'm talking 30°C hot. Of course now it's back to rainy weather with the occasional sunshine...
Unfortunately we don't have a garden so we can only have a BBQ at the river. I'm sure these nectarines would be amazing fresh from the grill but believe me, they are also so so tasty made in the oven.
I live for summer fruit. Give me summer fruit all year old and I'll be a happy woman. Winter fruit...not so much. But I have always loved all stone fruit. My only issue is that I love them most when they are still very firm. Not underripe but really firm. And then as soon as they soften up, it's not for me. My husband will happily eat them but he was out camping with our 3 boys when I made this tasty dish! So I had these beautiful ripe (but not overripe) nectarines lying around. I figured I had to do something with them before they get even softer!
Many many years ago I went to a BBQ at the river with friends and somebody brought peaches to put on the grill. Just like that! A totally new and interesting concept for me! And they were absolutely delicious. So when I looked at the nectarines, I remembered those grilled peaches and decided to try someting similar in the oven. Of course, if you don't have nectarines, you can totally substitute them with peaches. I'm sure it will be delightful as well!
You'll be surprised at how easy it is! You can totally "grill" (or how the South Africans say "braai") the nectarines on a baking grid and they will be fabulous. Caramelized with a bit of honey at the end and topped with salty feta and some chopped mint. And then the dressing. I wanted to drink the dressing. There's something about the combination of honey and lemon that just hits the right spot. OMG! It was an absolute flavour explosion in my mouth when I took the first bite of this dish!!
I just bought another kilo of nectarines so I can make this dish again this week. After all, my husband was out camping and hasn't had a chance to fall in love with it yet. I'm planning to serve this alongside some grilled chicken. I had it on it's own as a snack and that was perfect too. It would definitely also work as a dessert. After all, you get cheese platters for dessert.
I really hope you will make this as long as there are still plenty of stone fruit in the supermarkets!
Or how about making this Canteloupe, Feta & Mint Salad instead?
Summer is still going strong and so are nectarines and peaches! This is a simple BBQ side dish but the flavours are out of this world! Sweet, tart and salty all in one.
- 4 nectarines (halfed and pitted)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 50 g feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1 sprig of mint (chopped)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Pre-heat your oven to 220°C (428°F). Or if you have a grill, that would work wonderfully too!
Wash your nectarines. Cut them in half and pit them. Brush them with the 1/2 tbsp olive oil on the cut side.
The nectarines should be ripe but still a bit firm.Put the nectarines cut side down onto a grid in the oven. Roast them at 220°C (428°F) for 20 minutes, then turn over.
Brush the cut side with honey and roast for another 5 minutes.
Take the nectarines out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, crumble your feta cheese.
Wash your mint. Pull the leaves off the stem as the stem tends to be a bit woody. Lie the leaves on top of each other and roll them up. Then chop them up and add to the bowl.
Rolling the mint up makes it easier to chop it.- Dressing
Mix together olive oil, honey, lemon juice and salt for your dressing.
Put the nectarines into a flat bowl. Add the feta cheese and the mint on top. Drizzle with your dressing. Enjoy!
