My Go-To Tzatziki

I’ve recently fallen head over heels for Greek yogurt. Cabot Creamery’s triple thick vanilla yogurt (no sponsorship here, just pure love) has become my nightly obsession, piled high on fresh berries. I’m plowing through two big tubs a week—yes, I’m mildly mortified to confess that—and I’m pretty sure the dairy guy at the market is starting to side-eye me. Lately, I’ve ventured into savory territory with their plain Greek yogurt, whipping up some tzatziki that’s honestly unreal. I’ve been slathering it on sandwiches, smearing it on my morning croissant, pairing it with crackers for snack attacks, and dunking veggies in it like it’s my job. Confession? I could eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon. I’ve tinkered with a bunch of recipes, and this one’s my winner. Some folks swear by fresh mint in theirs, but I’m not sold on it here—your call, though. Give this a whirl and tell me what you think.

My Go-To Tzatziki

½ c. finely grated Melissa’s organic cucumber
1 c. whole milk Greek yogurt
¼ t. fresh lemon zest
1 T. fresh lemon juice
½ T. extra-virgin olive oil 
1 large garlic clove, grated
¼ t. (heaping) sea salt 
2 T. chopped Melissa’s fresh baby dill

Lay the grated cucumber on a towel and gently press out some of the extra moisture. Toss everything else into a medium bowl and mix it up.

Pro tip: give your lemon a quick grate before juicing it. Fold in t he drained grated cucumber. Pop it in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to dig in.

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Danish Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

I was craving meatballs the other day, but looking to do something different. That’s when I came across this recipe on food.com for Danish Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce. It had been ages since I last had Danish meatballs, and had never had them with dill sauce. Having bought much more fresh dill than I ended up needing, this worked out beautifully. Whether you want to make your own meatballs, or prefer to buy to those frozen from the market, I won’t judge. I would, however, encourage you to make this delicious sauce, and be certain to use fresh dill. Both meatball and sauce recipe can be halved or doubled to suit your needs. 

Danish Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce
Slightly adapted from food.com

Meatballs:

1 ½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground pork
2 t. salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
½ c. heavy cream
2 c. dry bread crumbs
½ c. melted butter

Sauce:

½ c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. sour cream
2 - 3 T. chopped fresh dill
½ t. ground allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika

In a large bowl mix the meat, salt, pepper, eggs, onion, and cream. With moist hands (mixture will be sticky), shape into 1 inch balls (as you can see, because I was having this as a main dish, I made large meatballs). Roll the meatballs in breadcrumbs until well coated.

Arrange in a single layer on shallow baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over the meatballs. Bake at 375°, turning three or four times, until evenly browned, about 35 minutes

Meanwhile, make the sauce:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the chicken broth. Continue stirring until thickened and bubbly, and then blend in sour cream, dill, and seasonings.

Place meatballs in a serving dish and cover with sauce.  Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.

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Green Bean Salad with Dill and Feta

 

The late Mr. O-P and I had differing opinions about salad. For him, a salad was pretty straightforward: lettuce, tomato, onion, and perhaps a sprinkling of Parmesan. For me, anything that I can throw into a bowl and toss with vinaigrette I call salad; I have a particular fondness for green beans. Because of this fondness, and I realize that I’m wandering from my point a bit, I tend to over buy green beans because they’re cheaper to buy in case lots. Don’t judge. I know it’s crazy. As a consequence, I end up with a lot of green beans. Turning them into salad is a tasty way to use them, and making such use of my stash of green beans generally means that I can always have a salad on hand should I need one. You know, for those occasional salad emergencies. If the thought of canned green beans appall you, feel free to use fresh.

This is an interesting combination of tastes and textures. The fresh dill makes it taste garden fresh, the feta provides a salty pungency, the onion gives it a complex bite, and the pine nuts give it a buttery crunch.

Green Bean Salad with Dill and Feta

2 lbs. fresh green beans (or 2 14-oz. cans)
½ c. chopped red onion
1/3 c. chopped fresh dill
1 3-oz. container feta cheese crumbles
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s pine nuts, toasted
Vinaigrette of your choice

If using fresh green beans, cook to the tenderness of your liking, rinse in cold water, and drain.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (or overnight) prior to serving to allow flavors to meld.