Tzatziki- Cucumber and Yogurt Sauce

A typical summer dish in Lebanon is Khiar bi Laban, a sauce made with runny yogurt mixed with diced baby cucumber and flavored with garlic and mint. I had a bunch of cucumbers in my fridge which were slowly losing crispness so I trimmed them to make dill flavored Tzaziki, the Greek cousin of the Lebanese dish; although the method differs, the cooling effect is the same.

Ingredients

• 7 to 8 tablespoons Greek yogurt ( I used goat but any will do)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 baby cucumbers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil and a little more to drizzle
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Method

1. Top and tail the cucumber and cut them lengthways. Using a teaspoon, scrape away the seeds.
2. Coarsely grate the cucumber, mix them with salt and place them in a sieve to render their water. This should take about 15 minutes. Press them with the back of a spoon to ensure the cucumbers are fairly dry.
3. Crush the garlic and mix with olive oil.
4. When you are ready to assemble, add the garlic to the yogurt and then mix in the cucumbers. Taste, and add salt if needed.
5. Finally stir in the chopped dill.
6. Serve, garnished with dill, and drizzled with olive oil.