Tarator

I have always been turned off by cold soups.  The idea of sipping and slurping something from a spoon that isn't hot and soothing or cold and pudding like just seems wrong to me.  Even being a self-proclaimed lover of all things french, I cannot stand to eat vichyssoise and I have never really been one for gazpacho (however, I make a wonderful self-titled 'white-trash' version with one container of salsa and one (smaller) container of pickled vegetables from a local Mexican restaurant that I mix together that isn't half bad).  

Considering that I have a pretty broad palette when it comes to food and am even daring at times when it comes to trying new things, I cannot help but be surprised with myself for not liking something so simple.  Luckily, a couple of weeks ago, I found a recipe that caught my attention.  It was, indeed, for a cold soup.  It is a Bulgarian version of something that may have originated in Greece, or maybe the Greek make their own version of the original Bulgarian version.  Either way, tarator (таратор) is easily described as a sort of thin tatziki but with out the burn of raw onion that tatziki can sometimes have and with the richness of olive oil.  It is a dream to put together and even more so to eat.  So much so that I have made it no less than three times in two weeks!   

Begin with some yogurt, a couple of grated Persian cucumbers, a few cloves of garlic, fresh dill, some  good olive oil, and a few stirs later you have a gorgeous soup that is both refreshing and filling perfect for the scorching summer months.

400g. yogurt (~16oz or half of a large tub)
2 Persian or Kirby Cucumbers

3 cloves of garlic

2T. fresh dill

1T. extra virgin olive oil

1-3c. water 

salt, to taste

-Mix the yogurt to get out any lumps and begin grating: the cucumber (parts of the skin might not grate:  just discard (or eat!) the pieces) and the garlic.  

-Chop and stir in the dill.

-Stir in the olive oil and begin adding the water starting with one cup and continuing in half cup increments until you get the texture that you prefer.  (I prefer to use a whisk at this point.)

-Add salt to taste. 

Avoid black pepper here as I feel that it is a distraction to the fresh and natural flavours of the tangy yogurt, the spicy garlic, and the crisp cucumber.

If you have some walnuts (I use raw, but toasted would be fine) on hand, then chop up just 1/4-1/2oz. per bowl and stir in.  I wouldn't add them to the whole batch, which serves two-three, until you are ready to serve.  Certainly, this is a bowl of fresh flavours, but it is much better and mellowed after at least a day or so in the ice box.