Tzatziki Sauce with Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Serves 16 in about 3 hours. The pot starts with english cucumber, then lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated english cucumber (1 medium 12-ounce cucumber)
• 2 cups plain greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

Method

1. Wash, then grate the cucumber using the large holes of a box grater (do not peel or seed the cucumber first unless using a common cucumber). I grate mine over a plate to start.
2. Put the grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve and place that in a bowl to catch the liquid. Set it aside while you prep the other ingredients.
3. Tip in the yogurt to a medium bowl. Chop the dill and mint, peel and press the garlic cloves, juice the lemon, and add those to the bowl with the yogurt, along with the olive oil, sea salt, and white pepper.
4. Use clean hands to simply squeeze the cucumber over the sieve, allowing the liquid to drain into the bowl. Get as much liquid out of the cucumber as you can, then add that to the bowl with the yogurt and other ingredients.
5. Mix well to combine everything, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to chill and blend flavors for about 3 hours before serving.

More appetizers ideas are in the appetizers collection.