Recipe: Tzatziki

TZATZIKI

"Tangy and refreshing, this dip is called tzatziki in Greek. Here, it's served with crisp baked pita wedges, but it also goes well with crudit s. Drain the yogurt a day before you plan to prepare the dip. And mix up a big batch of lemonade to pour throughout the picnic."

2 cups plain yogurt
1 English hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, grated
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
6 pita breads, cut horizontally in half, then cut into wedges
Olive oil

Line sieve with cheesecloth and place over medium bowl. Place yogurt in sieve. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to drain in refrigerator overnight.

Mix cucumber and 1 tablespoon salt in small bowl; cover and chill 3 hours.

Transfer drained yogurt to another bowl. Mix in sour cream, lemon juice, dill and garlic. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible from cucumber. Stir cucumber into yogurt. Season with pepper. Cover; chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place pita wedges on baking sheets. Brush with olive oil. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store pita airtight at room temperature.) Serve cucumber dip with baked pita wedges.

Makes 6 servings.
adapted from source: Bon Appetit, August 2000