Tzatziki is a wonderful, traditional Greek salad that's available commercially from many grocery stores now. But, nothing beats home-made and the price is more appealing as well. This authentic Tzatziki recipe was shared by an elderly Greek neighbor who's a wonderful cook.
My neighbor's a widower who doesn't have many people to cook for anymore, but he really enjoys it. His Greek food is one of the few connections he still has with his country of origin, which he hasn't lived in for decades. Mind you, he still has the temper that's quite traditionally Greek too! After trying his tzatziki dish, I just had to know how real Greeks make it. The secret is quite simple I hope you enjoy it too.
It's best to get a liter tub of Greek yogurt, if you like enough tzatziki to last you a few days, or you want to give some to someone else as well. Start by finding a large bowl, and tip the yogurt in there.Take one and a half big cucumbers, and wash them. Don't peel them, but chop the ends off and then grate them. Drain your grated cucumbers in a clean tea towel, and squeeze them until nearly all of the fluids have gone. You can drink the juice or add it to a green smoothie if you like. When the cucumber is well drained, add it to your bowl with yogurt.
Crush five to six cloves of garlic or less if you are not a garlic lover. Garlic is a very characteristic part of tzatziki though, so don't go to easy it. I usually take a big bunch of fresh mint from my herb garden and give it to my neighbor, and he loves adding this to tzatziki. You can add mint too, if you like. Cut it into really fine little pieces if you do.Now, add salt and pepper to taste, and finish your tzatziki off with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Your tzatziki is ready now, but you have to let it marinate for at least half a day if you want its taste to come out. This tzatziki will keep for about a week if you keep it in the fridge.
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