Harvesting fresh cucumbers right from your garden or your favorite farm stand means that it hasn’t been coated with edible wax to preserve it’s shelf life…these are the only cucumbers that you can wash and simply process or shred leaving the skins on for this recipe…otherwise, you will probably want to peel your cukes before proceeding. I rather like seeing the darker bits of green cucumber skin in the dip.
To save time, I’m using Greek yogurt instead of draining the excess liquid from regular yogurt overnight by letting it sit in cheesecloth over a fine strainer. I’m also food-processing the cuke with the dill, salt and garlic for a few pulses in my mini food processor, then twisting the veggie bits in paper towels to squeeze out the excess liquid, rather than salting the cuke shreds and weighting them between paper towels with a cast iron skillet to press out the excess liquid overnight in the refrigerator. These shortcuts allow me to make this dip the morning I intend to serve it…and let it sit for a few hours in the frig to develop it’s flavor. Yummm…refreshing, tart and flavorful!!!!
Cucumber Yogurt Dip with Dill
Ingredients:
- I cucumber, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pint (16 oz) Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the cuke chunks, dill, garlic clove and salt in a food processor. Pulse several times until finely shredded.
Layer several layers of paper towels and dump the cuke mixture into the middle and wrap up the paper towel into a bundle. Squeeze the excess juices out over the sink.
In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and ground pepper. Taste to correct seasonings.
Stir in the veggies.
Serve with fresh pita, or pita chips.
