Tasty Tzatziki Sauce

To make, I use either Greek yogurt and/or sour cream, they are interchangeable and work well together. Being of Quebec, I am using garlic grown here, in keeping with encouraging local producers and buying local. This garlic has gotten great reviews as being sweeter with little bitter after taste but with a nice kick to it.

I like to use fresh lemon for the sauce, though I know concentrated would work also. As in all recipes, using good fresh products and produce makes sense.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. plain Greek yogurt, sour cream or a mix of both

1 c. cucumber, finely diced, salted and drained (see below)

Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp.)

4 large cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, chopped finely

½ tsp. dried dill or 1 tsp. fresh dill

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

½ tsp. black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cucumber preparation: Slice and dice the cucumber finely, place in a colander and add 1 tsp. coarse salt. Stir and let it rest 10 minutes.  Squeeze the water out and set aside. This step is important to remove the extra moisture so the tzatziki sauce does not become watery when using later.

Tip: Place your salt on the chopping block and the garlic cloves on top, finely dice the garlic in the salt, it makes it easier and perhaps tastier!

In medium sized bowl, add all the ingredients and stir well. It is ready!

The flavours of the tzatziki sauce will develop with time, so making it ahead of time is a good thing.

Use for a dip with vegetables or naan bread, pita bread, for souvlakis, or as the sauce for potato salads, it is also delicious in deviled eggs or a dip for Greek or roasted potatoes.