Beet Tzatziki with Almond Crackers

Beet Tzatziki with Almond Crackers

I hope you don't have a white kitchen! If so, I think it's time to add a little color to those counter tops, walls, cutting boards and sinks. It's beet season at Tumbleweed Farm and our kitchen has been stained purple ever since our first harvest. It's a good thing I have a husband who doesn't mind a purple kitchen. This beet tzatziki with homemade almond meal crackers is a great appetizer to bring along to summer barbecues or potlucks. It is easy to prepare and is bursting with farm fresh flavors. We've been spoiled this week at the farm and have had a lot of extra hands in the fields. My in-laws are visiting along with two of our dear friends from Massachusetts. Words cannot describe how grateful we are for all of the extra help. It's amazing what six people can get done instead of just two! Hard work, good food and great friends is what makes my life full. Toss a few beets into the mix and this girl is on top of the world! I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we do. I've made a beet tzatziki on here before but this version is slightly different and worth posting. If you avoid dairy I would suggest trying a combination of blanched cashews and tahini instead of the yogurt. Thin it with water and lemon juice. I was originally going to make this vegan but we had some good quality yogurt in the fridge and I wanted to use it up. The crackers were so easy to whip up that I am convinced I will never buy store-bought again. Grab a few beets and head to your kitchen to whip up this addicting dip. Bon appétit!

Beet Tzatziki with Garlicky Almond Meal Crackers

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beets, scrubbed clean -about 3 medium-sized beets
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
  • 2 cups plain full-fat goat-milk yogurt or cow's milk yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Crackers:
  • 1 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons cold water
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Place all of the ingredients for the crackers in a food processor and process until a "lumpy" dough is formed.
  2. Remove the dough and form it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball of dough in between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin or a bottle of wine to roll the dough out into 1/8 inch thickness. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut uniform square crackers. Take the extra scraps and re-roll them into more crackers.
  3. Carefully place the bottom layer of the parchment paper (holding the crackers) on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes rotating the pan once. The crackers should be golden brown on both sides. If some crackers are smaller they will bake faster so remove them sooner.
For the Beet Tzatziki
  1. Cut beets in half and place in saucepan. Pour water over the beets to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the water and beets to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beets are fork tender. About 20-25 minutes. Drain and when cool enough to handle grate the beets on the large holes of a grater or use the grater attachment on your food processor.
  2. Combine the grated beets with the yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice and salt. Stir and let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
  3. Enjoy with homemade crackers and a glass of your favorite wine.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Always taste test as you go

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