Yogurt makes a fantastic base for dips, sauces, and dressings—especially if you ferment it yourself. It adds both a creamy and tangy flavor and can be thinned or thickened as needed. I often sneak a few tablespoons into recipes that lack it or instead use mayonnaise or sour cream, such as Roasted Garlic Hummus and other bean dips, quiche, and sourdough pancakes.

It can also play a more dominant role, such as in Dill-Infused Yogurt Sauce or Dressing, Indian-Inspired Shrimp in Yogurt, and the recipe I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon: the cucumber yogurt sauce or dip commonly known, even in America, as tzatziki.

Learn more about making yogurt-based dips and get the complete recipe for Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce) in my column.

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Twice as Tasty

Tzatziki uses just a few simple ingredients to expand on yogurt’s natural flavor. Adding just a little bit of extra tang and fresh herbs still lets the cucumber lend its mild notes. I like a homemade touch both in the tzatziki recipe and when I serve it. I start with Homemade Yogurt and mix in Roasted Garlic, along with homegrown cucumber and herbs. You can learn more about choosing and storing herbs in this blog post.

The thickness of the yogurt can be adjusted to turn this recipe into a dip hearty enough to balance on carrot sticks or chips, a sauce to pour over grilled vegetables or fish, or a salad dressing to toss with greens or potatoes. Here are some of my favorite pairings for tzatziki. You can find more in the recipe index.

• Pillowy Sourdough Pita
• Sourdough Pita Chips
• Raw-Chickpea Falafel
• Grilled Asparagus
• North African-Inspired Grilled Fish
• Basic Potato Salad

Want more Twice as Tasty recipes? Get my books! Click here to order a personally signed, packaged, and shipped copy of The Complete Guide to Pickling directly from me. I also share tasty ways to use pickles in The Pickled Picnic; it’s only available here.