Going Greek: Tsatsiki

I love Greek food. There is something so simple and so "of the land" about it, plus it always reminds me of the trip I took there, oh, about...uh...well, sadly it was so many years ago that it is depressing to think about. It is still one of those places I would go back to in a heartbeat. So, I get my Greek fix in other ways here in Portland. My friend dds has warmed my palate more than once with her creations. Alexis Restaurant here is still the place that reminds me most of eating in Greece. And every now and then I'll make a bowl of my all-time favorite Greek condiment, tsatsiki. It is one of those things that is so easy, and incredible satisfying. Its garlicky heat that prickles your tastebuds, only to get reined in by the cool yogurt and juicy cucumber bits. I made this version last weekend when we had some friends over. I really made for my friend Athena, whose surname of Pappas tells you all you need to know about her love of Greek food. I knew she was particular about such things, and ever up for a challenge, I couldn't wait to see if I would get the dis or the love. She took a bite, I waited.....and she was all smiles! So if you need a fresh app this summer that is fabulous spread on some pita or sliced baguette, and washed down with an ice cold glass of rosé...or better a bottle of retsina...get your Greek on with the E.D.T. Tsatsiki!
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E.D.T. Tsatsiki
makes about 5 cups
ingredients:
4 cups plain Greek style yogurt (see note at bottom)
2 pounds cucumber (about 3), peeled and chopped fine
3 or 4 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
quartered pita loaves or sliced baguette as an accompaniment

method:
Put the cucumbers in a sieve and press out as much excess liquid as possible. In a bowl stir together the drained yogurt and the garlic paste, add the cucumbers, the mint, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and combine the mixture well. The tsatsiki may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the tsatsiki with the pita.

Cooks note: If you can't find Greek style yogurt, which seems to be widely available these days, then do the following with plain yogurt: In a sieve set over a bowl and lined with a triple thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth let the yogurt drain, covered and chilled, for 8 hours or overnight.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: eating around Portland: Tabla Bistro and Justa Pasta!

My trip to the Greek islands....sort of......

We've all got our go-to cookbooks or other sources of inspiration. Maybe you're...and who isn't...a fan of Marcella's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking". Or perhaps you're a little old school and get you're "Silver Palate Cookbook" on. I know I also check out way too many food mags like Saveur, Gourmet, Food and Wine, The Atlantic Monthly.........ATLANTIC MONTHLY?? That's right, after slogging my way through their fifteen page features...okay, actually I think about reading their very in-depth analysis of some issue of the day, then quickly go to the back "Critics" section for their much shorter book, travel, and in this case food columns. Hey, if I'm spending a precious hour or so reading up on the upcoming Obama-McCain debates, I'm not going to have near enough time to spend on what really makes a difference in my world, namely stuffing my piehole, specifically with this awesome orzo risotto from Atlantic food writer Corby Kummer's September column.

Apparently the Atlantic sent Kummer to Greece (and why the hell was my high school guidance counselor NOT telling me about these jobs?) to attend a cooking school on the Greek island of Kea. He spent a few idyllic days "working" on his column by cooking, sailing in the Aegean, eating...you know, all the things you and I do at our jobs every day. Anyway, all my personal bitterness and resentment aside, among the sources of inspiration that came from his assignment was this fabulous, fresh, and bright 'risotto' made from orzo pasta. With its palate awakening lemon-zucchini jolt and classically Greek flavors of feta, olive oil, mint and garlic, this sounded too good not to make. We had it last night, and it was amazing. One of those dishes I could have eaten way too much of. Once again something quick, easy, very open to ingredient substitution, and simply delicious!
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Greek Orzo "Risotto"
From The Atlantic Monthly/ September '08

bb notes: I will just copy Kummer's recipe below. It makes plenty for six or so first courses/side dishes, or four substantial mains. Read through it, get your ingredients together, and get cooking while you dream of the Greek isles! For a prefect wine pairing, you couldn't do better than an all-stainless fermented sauvignon blanc. I had an inexpensive bottle from Chile's Montes winery that was spot on!
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"The recipe that exemplified the week, and Kremezi’s style, was one she tossed off on the last day and says she makes all the time: risotto with orzo, the pasta shaped like ovoid grains of rice, and grated zucchini, lemon, and feta. It’s foolproof, and can be adapted to any number of vegetables you find at the farmer’s market or (overgrown) in your garden. It shows how crumbled feta becomes a thick, creamy sauce that absorbs and amplifies other flavors—and what a difference the two cornerstones of Greek cooking, olive oil and lemons, can make to a seemingly familiar dish.

To serve six as a main course or eight as a side dish, heat seven to eight cups of chicken or vegetable broth or, if you don’t have broth, water. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil and add four or five cloves of peeled and thinly sliced garlic and four cups of diced or grated zucchini or yellow squash (pictured at left). Sauté, stirring, for 10 minutes over medium-high heat; the squash will exude a good deal of liquid. Add 1/2 cup of white wine, a pound of orzo, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to coat the pasta with oil. Pour in three cups of broth and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and adding more liquid as needed. The pasta can be al dente, for the risotto effect, or cooked completely through, as you like.

Remove the cooked orzo from the heat and add 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, three tablespoons of grated or shredded lemon zest, and 1 1/2 cups of feta cheese, mashed with a fork (and now: magic sauce). Buy the least salty feta you can find (if you get the feta fetish, as you should, order several of the barrel-aged fetas from www.zingermans.com), and save some of the crumbs for garnish. Snip over the risotto whatever combination you like of fennel fronds, fresh dill, and mint. That is, let the garden tell you how to season an irresistibly Greek, and simple, dish."
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