When we were hanging out with my in-laws in Cayucos, I noticed that they kept a supply of a locally-made dill dip and bags of Wheat Thins Toasted Crisps. It was a very addictive snack, addictive to the point where I was sneaking bites for breakfast.
I don't have a problem. Really.
I tried various store-bought dips upon returning to San Diego, but most were too salty and had odd ingredients (read: preservatives). When cucumbers arrived in the CSA, I decided to make my own and found this great recipe on Epicurious. It's basically a take on tzatziki with fresh cucumber and sharp dill. The key here is that all excess water should be drained out of the yogurt and cucumber. Don't skip those steps or else it'll be cucumber soup. If you have one very large cucumber, it'll do, but I used two medium-sized English cucumbers.
The dip is fabulous with the aforementioned Wheat Thins Toasted Crisps (I prefer the Garden Veggie flavor), but it can be served with toasted pita, raw veggies, Ritz crackers, or even as a dressing for grilled chicken.
Ingredients
2 cups plain yogurt 2 English cucumbers, 5-6 inches 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced 2 small garlic cloves, minced
Procedure
Take a fine-mesh strainer or sieve and line with two paper towels. Spoon yogurt into the paper towels and place strainer over a medium bowl, ensuring about 1 1/2 inches of clearance below the bottom of the strainer. Place in the refrigerator and drain overnight. If you prefer, cover with plastic wrap, but I found it was fine uncovered.
Seed cucumber and carefully grate over the large holes of a grater. Ideally, place the grater into a shallow bowl so all of the released liquid can be caught. Not much of the skin will be grated and that is fine. Mix grated cucumber with the salt and refrigerate for 3 hours.
When yogurt is drained, transfer to another bowl and mix in sour cream, lemon juice, dill and garlic. Take handfuls of the grated cucumber and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir cucumber into yogurt and season with pepper. Chill at least 2 hours, covered.
I don't have a problem. Really.
I tried various store-bought dips upon returning to San Diego, but most were too salty and had odd ingredients (read: preservatives). When cucumbers arrived in the CSA, I decided to make my own and found this great recipe on Epicurious. It's basically a take on tzatziki with fresh cucumber and sharp dill. The key here is that all excess water should be drained out of the yogurt and cucumber. Don't skip those steps or else it'll be cucumber soup. If you have one very large cucumber, it'll do, but I used two medium-sized English cucumbers.
The dip is fabulous with the aforementioned Wheat Thins Toasted Crisps (I prefer the Garden Veggie flavor), but it can be served with toasted pita, raw veggies, Ritz crackers, or even as a dressing for grilled chicken.
Ingredients
Procedure
Seed cucumber and carefully grate over the large holes of a grater. Ideally, place the grater into a shallow bowl so all of the released liquid can be caught. Not much of the skin will be grated and that is fine. Mix grated cucumber with the salt and refrigerate for 3 hours.
When yogurt is drained, transfer to another bowl and mix in sour cream, lemon juice, dill and garlic. Take handfuls of the grated cucumber and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir cucumber into yogurt and season with pepper. Chill at least 2 hours, covered.
4 bites:
This sounds delicious, Marie! I have a few cucumbers in the garden bed that are ready so perfect timing. Thanks for sharing!
Loved your guest blog on brioche...and as a huge cucumber fan, I love this recipe, too! New follower~
Thanks for stopping by, Liz!
Hope it turns out great, Carol! Love that you're growing cucumbers!