Tzatziki

You can use a blender or food processor to make this, but I find it more satisfying to use simple kitchen tools. The result will be chunkier, but just as delicious and refreshing.

2 medium cucumbers, seeded and grated (see step 1)
1 Tbsp salt (for salting cucumbers)
3 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsps lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsps fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Black pepper to taste

1. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds all the seeds to reduce the amount of water from the cucumber. Grate the cucumber and, in a colander sprinkle the Tbsp of salt over it and give it a good mixing; let this stand for about 30 minutes to sweat the cucumber to reduce the water even more. After 30 minutes, take handfuls and squeeze out as much water as possible and plop into a bowl.
2. Mix up the sweated cucumbers to loosed the bits, and add the garlic, lemon juice, dill, and some black pepper, then mix in the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt since you'll already have salt added from the cucumber. Let it sit for about an hour (two if you refrigerate) to allow the flavours to blend before serving.

Classic Greek Salad

I use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to make a vinaigrette. The acidity from the tomatoes, the pungent heat from the onion, and the saltiness from the cheese and olives supply the other flavours to make up the vinaigrette. Simple and quick and refreshing and, most importantly, delicious.

3 cucumbers
1½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced roma tomatoes
⅓ cup diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsps. oil from sun-dried tomatoes (or to taste)
½ red onion, sliced

1. In a large bowl toss together all the ingredients and toss well so that the oil covers the ingredients evenly.
2. Chill until serving.

Cucumber Mojito

This is how lucky I am - Ben makes these wonderful drinks, and I am such a sucker for gin. A happy combination. From The Cocktail Guru.

2 oz gin, Preferably Hendrick's Gin
2 tsps (or Tbsps?) of sugar
5 lime wedges
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
3 slices of cucumber

1. Peel the cucumber. Muddle the mint, limes, cucumber, and sugar.
2. Add the gin.
3. Fill the glass with crushed ice, over what you've muddled.
4. Stir the crushed ice with the mix for few seconds.
5. Garnish with cucumber peel and mint leaf 
6. You can also use: a splash of club soda if you want to make this a fizzy drink, it's a great twist

Chłodnik - Polish Cold Yoghurt Beet Soup

This makes an unusual, violent pink soup that is beautiful and delicious. It's great for a lunch on early fall days, with the warm, buttered potatoes and the cool, colourful soup.

Serves 8

One bunch of young beets with leaves (about 6)
1 tsp lemon juice, to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups of boiling water
1 English cucumber, quartered and finely diced
about 10 radishes, halved and sliced
4 spring onion tops or chives, chopped (40 to 60g)
A small bunch of dill, minced
4 cups natural yogurt or cultured buttermilk
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
golden caster sugar to taste - optional
4 to 6 hard boiled eggs to serve
1 to 1½ kg cooked baby potatoes to serve
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter for potatoes

1. Wash beet leaves, stems and roots. Peel roots and dice them, chop leaves and stems (if there are lots of leaves use only half).
2. Boil water, add beet material along with garlic and lemon juice. Cook covered until beets are soft but still crunchy.
3. Remove from heat, add cucumber, radishes, half of the dill (reserve the rest to sprinkle over potatoes), spring onions and set aside to cool down a bit. Add yogurt (or buttermilk), season to taste with salt, pepper (and sugar if using, but good young beets should be plenty sweet already) and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
4. Serve chilled with freshly cooked baby potatoes topped with butter and dill and hard boiled eggs on the side.
5. Add more boiled water if the soup is too thick or too intense in flavour.
6. If you have too many beetroot leaves, wash and chop them and freeze to use later in different soups.

A Summery Salad - Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

This salad is simple and delicious but requires a lot of fine dicing. It's a great opportunity to develop dicing skills, but if in a rush, not a good recipe for a quick meal.
Please note that the veggies are best when diced into small cubes. It causes that same feeling of plenty that pasta does to me.

1/4 English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 to 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped en chiffonade
A few spoonfuls of olive oil
A dash of red wine vinegar
A squirt of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Boston or Cos lettuce leaves
OPTIONAL Chèvre cheese or feta cheese

1. Dice the avocado first and toss with a squeeze of lemon to prevent browning.
2. Dice remaining vegetables and toss with the chopped mint.
3. Season to taste at the last minute with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve the salad in individual servings in a single lettuce leaf “boat.”
4. OPTIONAL: This is also good with goat cheese or feta cheese scattered on top.