Tzatziki, with Lots of Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled

Kosher salt

1 cup (225 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Finely grated zest and juice of1 lemon

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ bunch mint, chopped

½ bunch chives, thinly sliced

¼ cup (7 g) finely chopped fresh dill

Dash of hot sauce

Directions

Halve the cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Grate the flesh on the large holes of a box grater. Toss the grated cucumber with about ½ teaspoon salt and spread out in a large sieve. Let the cucumber drain for about 20 minutes, then squeeze gently with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.

Put the cucumber into a bowl and stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mint, chives, dill, and a couple of shakes of hot sauce. Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, or hot sauce. For the best flavor, let the sauce rest for at least 30 minutes before using. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

This sauce is almost like a salad in itself, given the large quantity of cucumber. It's so fresh, a perfect thing to pair with something fried, like Freekeh Falafel (page 211). The flavor is best after at least 2 hours, when the ingredients have had a chance to infuse their flavors into the yogurt. The sauce will get a bit weepy after a couple of days, however, because of the cucumber; if that happens, just stir any juices back in.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS (480 ML)