There is really nothing Nova Scotian about Tzatziki, or Zootziki as one of us says ‘round ours. It does have cucumber in it and cucumbers grow pretty well here in our never quite long enough growing season. Here we have cucumber salad, slightly sweet and made with cream and vinegar and sliced cucumbers, and often served as summer side dish to mackerel. Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens calls cucumber salad Cucumbers with Sour Cream (A delicious old Lunenburg dish). Other than that, tzatziki's link to these parts exists in those who eat it.
My first encounter with ‘real tzatziki’ was in Toronto, on The Danforth. Where, it has been said, the Greek food is better than in Greece. I have never had a really horrible meal on The Danforth or in Greece so I am going to refrain from opining on this. What I will say, is that I have eaten and made gallons of the stuff on both The Danforth and in Greece and it varies a little bit from place to place but something about the combination of strained yogurt, grated cucumbers and onions and/or garlic keeps me from ever tiring of it.
My introduction to cooking Greek and Mediterranean food was at a restaurant called Lolita’s Lust on The Danforth. The name led my family to wonder what exactly I was doing in Toronto. ‘What sort of food do they serve,’ they would ask, seeking reassurance that it wasn’t a strip club. Word around town at one point was that it was an adult bookstore and with a name like that and a window completely painted over save for one two or so inch strip through the middle, it was hardly surprising. It has changed hands since I worked there but still has a few of the original menu items, I am told.
At Lolita’s I discovered that pressed, or strained yogurt is essential to the success of any tzatziki. You can find it in some supermarkets, especially Greek specialty shops but, it is simple to make and just takes a little forward planning. All you need to do is put some plain yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl and leave it overnight, covered and in the fridge, so that the water drains out of it.
Pressed yogurt is a lovely and rich substitute for yogurt in anything, you can use this in a lot of different ways. It is really nice rolled into small balls and then marinated in olive oil and herbs and served with toasted bread and tomatoes. I also make a darn nice Pressed Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Molasses, if I may say so. I’ll get to posting that one day.
Tzatziki
2 cups pressed yogurt
½ hot house cucumber (no garden cukes in March here, I am afraid)
1 small onion
½ teaspoon kosher salt (if you don’t have kosher salt, use sea salt)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Grate the cucumber and onion into a sieve. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and toss. Let it drain for twenty minutes or so. Then squeeze as much water as you can out of the cucumber mixture.
Add the cucumber mixture to the pressed yogurt with the vinegar and mix. Season as desired.
Serve with warmed Greek pita or as a sauce. Tzatziki is perfect with almost anything grilled.
We have been into pita ‘chips’ here lately and tzatziki is yummy dip for those.
Pita ‘Chips’
6 whole wheat Lebanese pitas (these pitas toast really nicely)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper (or not)
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Put the pitas on a baking sheet.
Mix the oil with the salt and pepper. Brush the pitas with the oil mixture.
Bake, checking regularly and turning as necessary, for about ten minutes or until the pitas are toasted.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Break into smaller pieces or just leave them whole and let everyone break them apart themselves.
Use them as chips or crackers or croutons in a salad.
Good enough to eat.