Feta and Cucumber Dip

Martha Stewart Living, 2004

MAKES 3 1/2  CUPS

    4 med. cucumbers peeled                                        
    16 ounces feta cheese crumbled, preferably French              
    Salt and pepper                                                
    2 cups plain yogurt preferably Greek                           
    1/2 cup finely chop fresh mint leaves                          
    1/2 cup heavy cream                                            
    5 tablespoons lemon juice                                      
    Crudites                                                       

Grate cucumbers lengthwise on large holes of a box grater until you reach the seeds. Remove and discard seeds; continue grating. Transfer the grated cucumber to a colander set over a bowl or set in the sink. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and let the cucumber mixture stand 10 minutes to drain.

Rinse cucumber; shake out excess liquid. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. 

Stir together cucumber, yogurt, feta, chopped mint, cream, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If desired for serving, transfer dip to a bowl lined with cabbage leaves. Garnish dip with mint sprig; serve with crudites.

MY NOTE: I halved this recipe and it still made plenty of dip. The Greek feta is pretty strong, so maybe French is milder. I pulsed in a food processor instead of using a box grater. I also added 1 tbsp. of cayenne which gave it a nice lingering heat. This actually tasted a lot better on the second day, so I'd recommend making it the night before. This also tastes a lot like tsatziki so it would work as a condiment on Greek-style meat. My own photo.

MXF