Tzatziki

This tzatziki is rich and creamy, with the tang of fresh lemon and dill and a little bite of garlic. Like a lot of other goodies you’ll find on a mezze (appetizer) platter, tzatziki is comfort food.

Tzatziki is great as a dip, but also makes a wonderful accompaniment to grilled chicken or vegetables. Spread it on sandwiches.

As a dip, tzatziki is delicious with fresh vegetables or pita bread. In this time of infrequent visits to the market, if you don’t have any fresh pita bread, use pita chips, crackers or whatever you have on hand.

Tips

• You can use low-fat or non-fat yogurt to lower the calories. It won’t be as rich, but it is still delicious.
• Mint is often used in place of the dill. Some people recommend using parsley instead.
• Use an English cucumber. If you use a regular cucumber, you’ll need to peel it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a large cucumber, unpeeled
• 1 1/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Directions

Grate the cucumber using the large- or medium-size graters on a standard multi-side grating tool.

Line a sieve with a clean cotton or linen dish towel. Add the cucumber to it and let it sit for a couple of hours to drain.

Mix the yogurt, garlic olive oil, lemon juice, salt and dill together in a bowl.

Squeeze any remaining liquid from the cucumber by picking up the towel by the edges and twisting it above the cucumber (wringing it). Stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture.

Let the tzatziki sit for a while to blend the flavors.

If you are serving this as a dip, drizzle it with a little more olive oil. Serve with a bowl of olives, cut vegetables and pita bread (or pita chips).

Related posts

Here are some other appetizers that you might enjoy.

• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• The Best Basic Guacamole
• Pineapple Salsa