Beetroot, Cucumber & Jicama Tzatziki

Are you also getting tired of waiting for spring to arrive? I am ready for some sunshine! I want to sit out on the patio, grill something, invite friends over, and enjoy a pleasant warm evening outside.

With lamb shoulder and Greek yogurt in the fridge, I think we may start with sunshine in the menu! Tzatziki and roasted lamb shoulder should do the trick. The last time I had tzatziki and grilled lamb, was at my friend's house. Her husband is Greek, and he when he grills lamb shoulder, he religiously brushes the meat - compacted on the rotating spit - with a mixture of melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and thyme. The smell that comes off this roasting lamb shoulder is pure tantalization. When it is done, the lamb is sliced and served with homemade tzatziki, fresh pita bread, and a mixed salad.

With the VegOut challenge in mind, I decided to upgrade our tzatziki and include more vegetables. It is based on a recipe I made last summer, when we stayed on a small farm in Maine (that version has freshly dug-up horseradish root).

For this tzatziki, take 2 cups of Greek yogurt (nice and thick), mix in 1 or 2 (depending on your taste for garlic) crushed and minced clove(s) of garlic, and spoon in 1 tablespoon of fresh fine chopped mint. Let stand while you prepare the rest:

• Peel and grate a small cucumber over a strainer (and leave to drain for about 5 minutes)
• Peel and great 1 medium-sized raw beetroot
• Peel and great 1/2 jicama

Mix all vegetables together, and add to the yogurt mixture. Spoon through carefully, and season well with salt flakes and fresh ground black pepper.

It keeps in the fridge for a few hours, but keep an eye out: it becomes watery if it stands too long. One way to avoid that is to make sure the cucumber is well-drained of liquid.

I serve it with a garnish of whatever I have available in terms of fresh herbs, crunchy fresh vegetables, or even edible flowers!