A Winter Dish That Tastes Like Sunshine
There’s something deeply comforting about winter cooking. The slower pace, the heavier dishes, the instinct to lean into warmth and familiarity. But every now and again, in the middle of a cold, grey stretch of the year, you stumble across a dish that feels like a small act of rebellion against the season. Something bright. Fresh. Almost defiant.
That’s exactly how I felt the first time I cooked this grilled South African peach, tomato and labneh dish with crisp flatbread.
Peaches aren’t meant to be here in winter. At least, not our peaches. But South African stone fruit plays by different rules. Grown under long, sun-drenched skies in a Mediterranean climate, these peaches arrive in the UK when European varieties are nowhere to be seen, from November right through to May. And crucially, they arrive with flavour intact, not as pale, apologetic substitutes.
This dish, created by South African chef Reuben Riffel, is a reminder that winter food doesn’t have to be beige. It can still be vibrant, layered, and full of contrast, sweet against savoury, warm against cool, soft against crisp .
From Franschhoek to the Yorkshire Kitchen
Reuben Riffel’s cooking is rooted in Franschhoek, a town known as the food and wine capital of South Africa. His style reflects that setting, produce-led, confident, and quietly generous. Nothing overworked. Nothing fussy. Just ingredients treated with respect.
What makes this recipe so appealing is how naturally it travels. Despite its South African roots, it doesn’t feel out of place on a British table. In fact, it feels perfect for the way we eat now, informal sharing, big platters, dishes that sit comfortably between lunch and dinner.
It’s the sort of food you put in the middle of the table and let people help themselves. No ceremony. No overthinking.
Why Peaches Work So Well in Savoury Dishes
If you’ve only ever eaten peaches in puddings or straight from the fruit bowl, this recipe might surprise you. Grilling changes everything. The heat caramelises the natural sugars, deepening the flavour and introducing a gentle bitterness that plays beautifully with olive oil, herbs and acidity.
Paired with ripe tomatoes, fresh mint and basil, and the cool tang of labneh (or thick strained Greek yoghurt), the peaches stop being “sweet fruit” and start behaving more like a vegetable, complex, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
Add sumac-dressed red onion for sharpness, a drizzle of hazelnut honey dressing for richness, and shards of crisp flatbread for texture, and you’ve got a dish that feels complete in its own right.
This isn’t a side. It’s a statement.
The Recipe: Grilled South African Peach, Tomato & Labneh with Crisp Flatbread
Serves 6
Ingredients
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sumac
- 3 South African peaches, stones removed, cut into wedges
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 5 ripe salad tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 30g mint leaves
- 20g basil leaves
- 1 flatbread
- 200g labneh (or thick strained Greek yoghurt)
- Dukkah, to serve
- Salt and pepper
Hazelnut honey dressing
- 50g hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skins removed
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
- ½ garlic clove, finely grated
Method
- Heat a grill pan until very hot.
- Place the red onion in a large bowl with the lemon juice and sumac. Toss gently and season to taste.
- Drizzle the peach wedges with olive oil and grill them cut-side down until beautifully charred, turning once. Add the warm peaches to the onion mixture along with the tomatoes, mint and basil.
- Drizzle the flatbread with olive oil and grill until crisp and golden. Allow to cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces and fold through the salad.
- For the dressing, whisk together the crushed hazelnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic. Season to taste.
- Spread the labneh generously over serving plates, top with the peach salad, drizzle with the hazelnut honey dressing, sprinkle with dukkah and serve immediately .
How I Like to Serve It
This dish shines brightest when you let it do its own thing. I’ll often serve it as part of a relaxed spread, alongside grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or even as the centrepiece of a vegetarian table. It works just as well for a casual weekend lunch as it does for a dinner where you want something a little unexpected.
And don’t underestimate it as a starter. Served on individual plates with a bit of care, it sets the tone beautifully.
A Note on Seasonality (and Sustainability)
There’s sometimes a knee-jerk reaction to eating imported fruit out of season, but South African stone fruit tells a different story. Much of it is shipped rather than flown, reducing its carbon footprint, and the industry supports extensive rural employment and sustainable farming practices .
In other words, this isn’t about ignoring seasonality, it’s about understanding global seasonality. About recognising that while our gardens rest, somewhere else the sun is doing its work.
Final Thoughts
This grilled peach dish is a reminder that good food doesn’t need to shout. It doesn’t need foam or tweezers or complicated techniques. It just needs confidence in the ingredients.
In the middle of winter, when everything feels a little heavy, this is the kind of recipe that lifts the table. Bright, generous, and quietly joyful.
And once you’ve made it once, I’d wager it won’t be the last time.
