Organic Tzatziki Dip

Whew, I’m plum played out by all the activity of the past few weeks.  Gardening in the spring is a joy and a brain teaser, dancing between rain, cold and mini heat waves.  Not to mention time-consuming at the moment so it’s been tough to get a lot done in the kitchen.  On the plus side, with four types of lettuce, three varieties of carrots, two varieties of beets, radishes, broccoli, kohlrabi, savoy cabbage, rosemary, lavender, parsley, chives, mint, sorrel, and sage now growing happily in my garden’s tidy rows, there should be more than enough ingredients in the next month and beyond to get SFTF’s kitchen out of “sputter” mode and back into “zooming along” gear. 

Today’s recipe for an Organic Tzatziki Dip is a delicious hint at the warm summer weather ahead and all the fresh flavors it encompasses.  Into this particular batch went some of my last local garlic and tender fresh sprigs of mint plucked from my deck container, and it was served with the very last of my carrots that wintered over.  If only cucumbers were in season too…  But I couldn’t quite wait for the local cucumbers as I had a real craving for this deliciously cool Greek condiment the other day when the mercury was soaring to an unwelcome 90 degrees. 

I’ve typically made tzatziki with the standard plain yogurt, but decided this time to use a container of thick tangy organic Greek yogurt I had sitting in the fridge.   When I was traveling about Greece and her islands a decade back, I just couldn’t embrace this unique yogurt that’s become very popular today in the States.   My foodie palette hadn’t yet developed into what it is now, and I was pretty close-minded to the idea of a yogurt that was so heavy and not the least bit sweet.  Afterall, I’ve always been a vanilla kind of gal.  In any case, thankfully I decided to give it another try some years later.  As it does with so many savory dishes, Greek yogurt puts this particular recipe over the top and I’ll be making a point to use it every time from here on out. 

On another happy note, today is the opening day for the Headhouse Farmers Market in Philadelphia.  For those of you in the area, be sure to visit this outstanding market for a diverse assortment of local foods.  Weavers Way Farm will be there once again, as well as yours truly on occasion, helping man their table.  Also, this year the market is officially expanding to provide the same market hustle-and-bustle on Saturdays as on Sundays so you now have two days to fill up your baskets and bags.  Headhouse Farmers Market is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near 2nd and South Streets.   

Organic Tzatziki Dip
Adapted from Oikos Organic Kitchen

 
1 cup plain organic Greek yogurt (such as Oikos brand)
2 organic cucumbers
2 cloves organic garlic, minced
3 t. chopped fresh organic mint
1 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dice and then mince the cucumber as finely as possible.  Sprinkle some salt over the chopped cucumber and allow to sit for five minutes to draw out the moisture.  Pat dry and roll in a paper towel.

Combine the prepared cucumber with garlic, mint, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the yogurt and taste.  Adjust seasonings as desired. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving with cut vegetables and pita wedges.  

(makes 1 1/2 cups)