Tzatziki Salad

Sometimes the stars (or, rather, the vegetables) align and I find myself with a delicious lunch salad in front of me, composed almost entirely from the panier.  Behold:

This was as wonderfully refreshing as anyone could want on a warm late summer Saturday afternoon.  I may have mentioned before that cucumbers are not my all-time favorite thing, but I do enjoy them in certain preparations, namely those in which its flavor is masked by tangy dairy or salt and vinegar (and sometimes sugar).  Well, tzatziki, that classic Greek dip made with cucumbers and yogurt, may have been the very first thing I ate that gave me the idea that cucumbers were not all bad.  Naturally, I learned how to make it, and I use it not only as a dip, but as a sauce or spread for sandwiches, as well as a salad dressing.

It’s a very simple thing to make, tzatziki, especially if you remember to peel, seed, and grate the cucumbers first so they have time to drain while you get everything else ready.  In this case, “everything else” means open a few pots of Greek yogurt, mince some garlic, chop some parsley, and stir it all together.  Squeeze as much of the excess water as possible out of the grated cucumbers with a towel, then add them to the yogurt.  Salt and pepper to taste, and you’re done.  It’s even better the next day.

Here I used it to dress some of the panier lettuce, and topped the whole thing with tomato wedges.  I just wanted to share it with you before fall arrives in earnest – think of it as squeezing the last drops of summer.

Originally published on Seasonal Market Menus.

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