condiments | Ginger Smoothy and Otto Pilot

~Pickled Eggplant, also known as “Aubergine”~

The eggplant is very popular in a variety of cultures. What an interesting vegetable in deed. It’s a member of the nightshade family, and has been cultivated throughout the world dating back to the middle ages. This is the first year that I have tried growing some, and so far the results are good. With so many varieties to pick, I tried some small green and white striped ones . They seem pretty well resistant to the ferocious insects of Northern Ontario, and did not need very much of my attention, making them a winner for my garden. I like simple gardening with a high yield .

Yesterday I posted my most delicious Marinated Souvlaki recipe, and we all know you cannot have Souvlaki without the famous Tzatziki, so here is my favorite Tzatziki recipe. The trick to this is to use the full fat Balkan Style yogurt, and drain out the whey. Some people make it chunky, but I personally prefer it with the cucumber shredded or grated . You be the judge!

~Greek Tzatziki~

Ingredients

1 large english cucumber grated and water squeezed out of it
1/2 tsp(2mL) salt
1 (750 g) container of Balkan Style Yogurt
5 or 6 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp (30mL) minced fresh dill or dried
1tbsp(15 mL) minced frsh mint or dried
1tbsp(15mL) extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp(15mL) lemon juice

Preparation

The day before you want to make this , take the yogurt and place into a fine strainer sitting over a bowl and put some plastic over the yogurt , place in the refrigerator for the night. You can use cheese cloth as well if you don’t have a fine strainer. This well let the liquid drain out of the yogurt and you will be left with ” yogurt cheese” Pour out liquid, and place remaining yogurt into a medium size bowl.

Grate cucumber , squeeze out water and place in the bowl with yogurt. Add remaining ingredients and combine well . Place in airtight container and keep in refrigerator until needed.

Good with Souvlaki, crackers, chips, and used as a condiment for pitas , gyros, and various other meats.