Tzatziki Efharisto!

I had the pleasure of spending a few weeks in Greece last summer. Summer in Greece is a great time to visit especially as the sun sets around 8:15ish and so you still have some sunshine when you leave work! When I was in Athens I enjoyed strolling through Plaka and then would pick a random little family restaurant to feast at. A couple of restaurants that I frequented usually served a few standard dishes which they brought out for me to have a look at before I ordered. One of my many favorites was Tzatziki, a yogurt and cucumber dip with lots of garlic. The yogurt though is what makes it so delicious, it is creamy and rich. You can get this consistency with regular yogurt sold in the US when it is strained through a cheese cloth. Luckily for me I found some Greek style yogurt in the supermarket. Plus I had read that one of yogurt's many health benefits is that its is cooling and helps the body deal with hot environments. Since I knew the basic ingredients in Tzatziki I gave it a go. It came out pretty good, and now seems to be staple especially in the summer time.

Ruins of one of the many buildings at the Acropolis.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Greek style yogurt

2 or 3 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on taste)

1 Cucumber

Half a fresh lime or lemon

Olive oil

Salt and sugar

Dill for garnishing

Method:

Chop garlic into small pieces and set aside. Chop cucumber into small rectangular sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Scoop Greek style yogurt into serving bowl and run a fork through it a couple of times for the creamy consistency. Stir in garlic and and cucumber. Add juice of lemon and about a tablespoon of olive and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Garnish with chopped dill. Serve Tzatziki with warmed pita bread. Enjoy!

Views of Mount Lycabettus and Athens from the Acropolis.

Views of the Temple Olympian Zeus from the Acropolis.

Views from the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

Enjoying one last swim on the coast of Athens at past 8:15pm!