Palestinian/Jordanian Cucumber Salad

I love Middle Eastern food. It's so tasty, always a fabulous blend of flavor, refreshment, and spice.  We had this simple, very nice cucumber salad with marinated lamp chops and Lebanese zucchini and egg fritters. I had recently discovered some excellent Greek style non-fat plain yogurt at a local store in Decatur, Georgia. Greek style yogurt is critical to a good cucumber salad (and life in general).  This is a very slightly adapted recipe I found on Recipe Zaar.

If you have never had Greek or Middle Eastern style yogurt, try it, there is no going back. It has an incredibly creamy texture, homemade feel and taste, a joyous flavor to which every day American yogurt cannot hold a candle. And compare the labels - Greek style yogurt is lower in sugar and higher in protein. My mother makes her own jam, and having gotten in the habit of mixing her jam with Greek yogurt, the regular stuff tastes like slimy, over sugared candy to me now.

The original recipe on line (http://www.recipezaar.com/Middle-Eastern-Yogurt-Cucumber-Salad-328153) calls for 1/4 cup of lemon juice, which might be a little tart for some (I liked it as it was, my husband wanted to back it down). I recommend starting with a little less lemon juice, and adjusting to taste.  The original recipe also calls for an optional whole serrano pepper - very spicy - which I did not use, simply because I was not in the mood for spicy. It is probably good that way, too. I of course went for the whole clove of garlic.

Palestinian/Jordanian Cucumber Salad

1/2 cucumber (leave peel on)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup Middle Eastern/Greek style yogurt (not Dannon)
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove (smashed)
1/2 tsp salt (I used less than 1/4 tsp)
3/4 tsp dried mint
olive oil (for garnish)

Cut cukes into cubes, set aside.
In medium sized bowl add all other ingredients except olive oil.
Mix well till no clumps.
Add cukes, mix well.
Garnish with olive oil.
Eat.

Recipe by Chef Fifi: http://www.recipezaar.com/member/115178