Tzatziki Salad

So I got a basic Tzatziki recipe a couple of years ago, but instead of making it as a dip, I stirred in all kinds of delicious things and put it inside of mini pitas.  Awesome, absolutely fantastic.  Also delicious if you use cucumber slices as chips and scoop up piles of it.

If you don't know what Tzatziki is, it's a yogurt based sauce with dill and garlic and lemon that you might come across in a Greek Restaurant or pita place.  It's super flavorful and surprising and wonderful.

16 oz Plain Yogurt, Greek Yogurt or Goat's Milk Yogurt
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
4 -6 minced Garlic Cloves (trust me, fresh is worth the effort)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Fresh or Dried Dill to taste

1 medium Cucumber, chopped
1 handful Sun-Dried Tomatoes, cut in small pieces
6 oz crumbed Feta Cheese
1 cup sliced or chopped Assorted Olives (I like the Olive mix from Wegmans.)

Whole Wheat Mini Pitas, Sliced Cucumbers or other chips or crackers to serve with.

To Make Tzatziki:

Combine Yogurt and Olive oil in food processor or with whisk.  Stir in Lemon Juice and Garlic and mix thoroughly.  Add Salt, Pepper, and Dill and stir again.

To Make Salad

Once Tzatziki is well blended stir in Cucumber, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Olives and mix well.


Stuff in Pitas, spoon onto Cucumber slices or scoop up with chips or crackers.

Enjoy!


Notes:

• You can use Garlic Powder, but fresh tastes SOOOO much better.  Likewise, fresh Dill is better than dried for this.
• Tonight we tried this with Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and it was fastastic,  The earthy flavor of the smoke makes a lovely counterpoint to the brightness of the garlic and lemon.
• If you don't have a Wegman's (and you really should, everyone should), you can use an assortment of green, black and kalamata olives.