NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Delaney Mes: Peachy keen (+recipes)

Delaney Mes
By Delaney Mes
Spy.co.nz·
19 Feb, 2017 03:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Peach and thyme Tom Collins. Photo / Nick Reed.

Peach and thyme Tom Collins. Photo / Nick Reed.

Stonefruit are versatile and can be used for every course - and in drinks.

Stonefruit are versatile and can be used for every course - and in drinks.

Peaches really seem to be at their best now that summer is in full swing. It's the best time of year for fruit, but there's more to stonefruit than just snacking on it constantly at every opportunity. Rather than just baking or using fruit for dessert, I thought I'd try to mix things up a bit.

This salad is a good one to have in your repertoire, although I know there are people out there who think fruit in savoury salads is a crime.

This combination is a great one though: creamy avocado (also great at the moment), salty, crisp halloumi cheese, a tangy and slightly sweet basil vinaigrette, and then grilled peaches. The peaches you can do either on the barbecue or in a frying pan.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

With a little butter and maple syrup and a few chopped pecans, they're a luscious combination.

It's the cocktail that I'm probably most proud of though. I'd made sugar syrup with fruit before, but the peach turned into the most gorgeous blush colour. If you're feeling game you could do all three for one very peach-filled evening. 'Tis the season, after all.

Peach and thyme Tom Collins

Makes enough for 4-5 cocktails.

This recipe works best with a cocktail shaker.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For the peach and thyme sugar syrup:
1 large peach (or 2 small-med peaches)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water

Cut the peach in half and remove the stone, and then cut each half into four pieces. Place in a small saucepan with the sugar, water, and thyme.

Gently heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat remove the thyme sprigs. Leaving the peach chunks in the syrup, set aside until ready. You can make the syrup in advance, and it will keep in the fridge about a week.

For the cocktail (makes 2):

Discover more

Lifestyle

Baked treats using winter produce

09 Jul 10:00 PM
Lifestyle

Three delicious fritter recipes

30 Oct 03:30 AM
Lifestyle

Food news: What to eat this weekend

02 Dec 02:00 AM
Lifestyle

How to keep Christmas lunch simple

21 Dec 08:00 PM

4 chunks of peach from the syrup
6 tbsp syrup
Ice
90ml gin
Juice of 2 small-medium lemons
Soda water

Place the chunks of peach and the syrup into a cocktail shaker and muddle well. Fill with ice and add the lemon juice and the gin. Shake well until combined. Taste and adjust lemon or syrup according to taste.

Fill two glasses with ice and evenly add the mixture. Top with soda water and garnish with additional fresh thyme.

Peach, halloumi and avocado salad with basil vinaigrette

Peach, halloumi and avocado salad. Photo / Nick Reed
Peach, halloumi and avocado salad. Photo / Nick Reed

2 large peaches
200g halloumi, sliced
1 large avocado, sliced
2 cups rocket leaves
½ cup walnuts

For the basil vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1 scant tsp honey
½ cup basil leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

For this dressing, you can either blitz all ingredients in a small food processor, or you can finely chop the basil and then whisk with all other ingredients using a fork. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fry the halloumi in a little oil over a med-heat until golden.

Grill the peaches on either a barbecue, griddle pan, or just a frying pan, over a high heat. Use a little oil and grill until slightly golden or charred.

To assemble the salad, scatter the ticket leaves on your serving platter. Add the avocado, peach, and haloumi. Scatter over the walnuts then drizzle over the dressing. Serve immediately.

Roasted peaches with bourbon, maple, and pecans

Roasted peaches, bourbon, maple and pecan. Photo / Nick Reed.
Roasted peaches, bourbon, maple and pecan. Photo / Nick Reed.

Serves 3-5 (depending on the size of your peaches)

3-4 peaches, halved, stones removed
2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup bourbon
Generous drizzle maple syrup
2 Tbsp chopped pecans, plus 2 Tbsp more to serve

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a roasting tray with baking paper, and add the oil. Place the peach halves in the tray, cut side up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Place small bits of butter on to each peach half. Pour over the bourbon, drizzle over the maple syrup, and sprinkle over the chopped pecans.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove and carefully flip the peaches over using tongs. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, then serve immediately or allow to cool at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with extra chopped pecans, and vanilla icecream, runny cream or natural yoghurt.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

For the love of bread: Why Orewa locals are queuing up at Romeo's

05 Jul 02:01 AM
Lifestyle

From the beat to the beauty pageant: West Auckland cop named Miss Universe NZ

05 Jul 01:00 AM
Lifestyle

School holidays dragging on? Try this fun kitchen activity for kids

05 Jul 12:00 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
For the love of bread: Why Orewa locals are queuing up at Romeo's

For the love of bread: Why Orewa locals are queuing up at Romeo's

05 Jul 02:01 AM

Diogo Riedi's grandmother taught him to make bread in a wood-fired oven in Brazil.

From the beat to the beauty pageant: West Auckland cop named Miss Universe NZ

From the beat to the beauty pageant: West Auckland cop named Miss Universe NZ

05 Jul 01:00 AM
School holidays dragging on? Try this fun kitchen activity for kids

School holidays dragging on? Try this fun kitchen activity for kids

05 Jul 12:00 AM
Boss Babe to Bali bride: Iyia Liu’s $120K clifftop nuptials

Boss Babe to Bali bride: Iyia Liu’s $120K clifftop nuptials

04 Jul 11:00 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP