April 20, 2006

Tzatziki Tzastes Good


Tzatziki is a delicious cucumber yogurt sauce. I like it as a dip with toasted baguette slices or warm pita bread, but most of the time it's served beside lamb or with kebabs. It tastes refreshingly light. It is a wonderful dip for an hors d'oeuvres party, especially if the rest of the food is quite heavy.

The first time I tasted Tzatziki was at a party here and when I saw the white dip with flecks of dill, I assumed it was a standard sour cream based dill dip. I didn't bother trying it until a friend urged me to sample it late in the evening. I was so glad I did since now I'm such a fan. A good-for-you dip that tastes like it couldn't be.


Tzatziki

2 cups plain, full fat yogurt (Greek yogurt preferred)
1 large cucumber, peeled and grated

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped dill
1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp good olive oil
Salt to taste

one variation, optional: add 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint


Cut the cucumber in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel and grate. Place the cucumber in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let it drain a few hours. I helped this along by squeezing out as much of the water as I could. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, salting to taste. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. For a thicker dip, you can strain the yogurt in a colander lined with cheesecloth overnight, or at least a few hours, before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Megan,

I found your blog via Tea and Cookies and I'm so glad I did! It's full of warmth and great recipes.

I love tzatziki but often find myself using store-bought. I shall have to give your recipe a try, especially this summer when we have fresh cucumbers from our garden.

I look forward to visiting often!

Chez Megane said...

Ivonne-
Thanks for your lovely comments! I appreciate you stopping by! I look forward to reading more of your blog, as well. Thanks again!