Farm Fridays: Tzatziki

It feels like summer outside, but my CSA share hasn't gotten there yet. We're still working on the spring greens. So many greens.

Today I got a ton of lettuce (no surprise there), chard, collard greens, a head of cabbage, a huge bunch of scallions and some cucumbers. Too many greens for two people to eat in a week. Even though I love chard, I decided that this wasn't its week. This afternoon, I took the half pound from the farm plus another half pound I picked out of our garden, blanched the leaves and froze them. Chard goodness will have to wait for another day, later in the summer or fall, when I'm starved for greens. Until then, I'll focus on the others.

Today's dinner actually didn't include any of the produce from this week - we made some pork wasabi tacos to use up some of the Napa cabbage I had left over from last week's share. I plan on posting that quick, tasty recipe sometime soon.

Since it's so hot out, I'm not feeling these greens right now. I'm ready for summer flavors. And what tastes like summer more than tzatziki? Back in March, there was a lady at Whole Foods giving out samples of hummus and tzatziki. I tasted some and was immediately transported to a lazy summer afternoon. When yogurt and cucumber combine their powers, they distill the essence of summer into a form that can be easily scooped up on a crisp pita chip. So what better way to celebrate summer than to whip up a nice bowl of this refreshing dip? I can't think of any.

Tzatziki
Adapted from Cooking Light: Way to Cook Vegetarian.

1 c cucumber (I used two small ones - about 8 oz total)
1 c Greek yogurt
3 fresh mint leaves, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Grate the cucumber and gently squeeze some of the liquid out. (The recipe says to peel them first, which I did, but in retrospect, I think I'd rather have the peels on for a little color and texture).

Combine the cucumber, mint, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

Add the yogurt and mix well to combine. For the best flavor, let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. (If, like me, you can't wait to taste it, know that it's pretty good right away, too!)