West Chester Dish

Beautiful blue skies and arid weather remind me of one of my favorite places on the planet—Greece. When I was a college student studying abroad in Europe, I had the extraordinary experience of traveling to this amazing country for a week. Naively, I didn’t think I’d do much eating on the trip. Boy, was I wrong.

Despite my vegetarian tendencies, I couldn’t help but be seduced by the savory souvlaki and cheap-yet-delicious gyros I found at every twist and turn. One of my favorite discoveries, however, was something that I’ve made again and again at parties or just for myself: tzatziki (zad-zee-kee). This delicious cucumber yogurt sauce is usually served with pitas before a meal, or with souvlaki or gyros. You’ll see it from time to time here in the states, but I’ve never had it quite as authentic as I did in Greece.

The best way to sample this excellent accoutrement? Make it yourself! It’s the perfect summer appetizer to enjoy in this hot weather. It’s relatively swimsuit-friendly, and once you try it, you’ll end up putting it on just about everything. And, of course, it’s so easy, even I can do it…

Easy Tzatziki

Ingredients

• 1 pint Greek-style* yogurt (or plain yogurt)
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp (or so) olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• Salt (just a dash)

*Greek yogurt is thicker and a little more bitter than regular plain yogurt. Your best bet for finding a close relative is Trader Joe’s.

Preparation

1. Mince or chop the garlic into tiny pieces (you can use a garlic press, small knife or a fine cheese grater for this). Place in a small bowl.
2. Using a rough cheese grater, grate the cucumber into short, thin strips (hint: you don’t want the seeds, so you can first cut the cucumber in half and use a tablespoon to scoop out the middle section with the seeds). Drain the water from the cucumber by squeezing the strips with your hand over a sink and place in the bowl with the garlic.
3. Add the olive oil and vinegar to the bowl, and lightly mix.
4. Dump the yogurt into a medium bowl. Add the cucumber and olive-oil mixture to the yogurt and mix until well blended.
5. Add a dash of salt (to taste) and refrigerate at least one day. Or, if you’re impatient like me, just for a few hours.

Serve this up with some warm (I use the microwave) pita bread, pop on track 15 from the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels soundtrack and you’re all set to go. Opa!

Note: This recipe can also be doubled or tripled to accommodate more hungry wannabe vacationers.

WC Dish Tip: Hungry for more Greek fare? Head to The Mediterranean or Nick’s Café for some authentic dishes. The owner of Nick’s will even reminisce with you about his home country once you get him going…