Tzatziki Dip with Fresh Vegetables

My Easter holiday was full of good food, sun and a whole lot of fun. Since the weather reached well into the 80’s here in Pittsburgh, I thought it would be a fabulous excuse for an outdoor barbeque. I guess you can say this was the first of many outdoor gatherings I intend to have over the summer season.

To kick the outdoor party off right, I opted for the cooling flavor of Ina Garten’s Tzatziki Dip I saw on a recent episode of Barefoot Contessa. Rather than the usual pita chips, I opted for crisp fresh vegetables. The rich green of the broccoli and celery along with the vibrant red of the bell peppers made for an amazing edible center piece on my wooden patio set. It was fun to hear my guests laugh about assorted topics between bites.

The evening’s menu consisted of one of my classic favorites, Grilled Caprese Pizza. Thanks to my friends Patrick and Kevin, we dipped fresh crusty bread into flavorful olive oil. I also debuted couple of original recipes I’m creating for future posts. They were really well received but I still think there are a few more tweaks that need to be made. So look for Polynesian Glazed Chicken Skewers and Summer Vegetable Feta Salad very soon.

Tzatziki Dip with Fresh Vegetables
Adapted from Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa

2 (7 oz) containers of Greek yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber, seeded and unpeeled
¼ cup sour cream
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. white wine vinegar
1 Tbl. fresh dill, minced
1 ½ Tbl. garlic, minced
salt and pepper
assorted fresh vegetables

Shred the cucumber with a grater and squeeze out the excess liquid. Add the dip ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Garnish with any remaining dill. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables. Makes approximately 2 cups of dip.

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