Cool as a cucumber tzatziki

If you are in Europe, you have probably felt the heat for the last few weeks. We certainly have, and there is nothing like the home of the hottest recorded temperature ever in Europe (so far) for inspiration on cool-you-down foods. So many thanks to the Greeks for the simple, quick, but ever-tasty tzatziki, perfect as a starter with slivers of veggies, nacho chips and/or toasted pita breads. And it's versatile enough to liven up grilled fish and chicken recipes, and as alternative in recipes where sour cream is used, so be creative!

Serves: 4-6 as a starter/dip, increase in proportions noted in ingredients for more people; assumes you will also have some (2 to 3) other starters/dips

Time to prepare/cook: Approximately 10 minutes, if all ingredients are to hand

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Ingredients

• 200g Quark (can also use natural Greek yoghurt, but make sure it is reasonably thick)

• 5-6 cm fresh cucumber

• 1-2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, dill and/or chives as available

• Ground pepper to taste

Method

• Wash the cucumber and parsley/herbs

• Chop the herbs finely

• Put Quark, herbs and garlic in a small mixing bowl

• Chop off the end of the cucumber and discard (about 0.5 cm)

• Use a cheese grater to grate the cucumber into a separate bowl. It's best to grate the round end of cucumber rather than green side, as it makes a better mix – if you grate the green side this can leave some slightly tougher pieces. Let it stand for a couple of minutes (or you can squeeze it gently) and then drain out any excess liquid before adding to the Quark mix

• Mix well with a spoon and taste, adding a few turns of ground pepper (and more garlic) until it tastes good to you

• Serve immediately – and will keep in fridge for a day or two, just mix again before serving