A flight of three yogurts

A Flight of Three Yogurts

Chef Seth of Moscow 57 on Delancey Street created these very special yogurts. He’s allowed me to share them here with you because, well, he’s my little brother. Each yogurt stands beautifully on its own, but as a trio, they’re almost a spiritual experience.  With toppings of green, gold, and pink, they look so pretty together on the table! And if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself going from one yogurt to the next, over and over, trying to decide which is your favorite, and you’ll still be uncertain long after they’re gone.

Serve these with a good quality soft pita for dipping, preferably from a Middle Eastern bakery if you’ve got one nearby.

Although dried flowers aren’t often used in American cooking, they’re quite common in other parts of the world. If you’re unfamiliar with them, I highly recommend you give them a try. This edible flower 4-pack includes kosher, food-grade marigold petals, rose petals, lavender flowers, and chamomile flowers. I use the first two in these yogurt recipes—and I use lavender flowers in my Magical Lavender Limonade. As for the fourth package in the bundle, having some chamomile on hand for a soothing tea is always nice. If you’d prefer to buy them individually, here are the marigold flowers and the rose petals.

When choosing yogurt, go for a full-fat, strained Greek yogurt, such as Fage. If you read the labels, you’ll discover that many “Greek” yogurts have added thickeners rather than being made thick properly by straining. Low-fat yogurt just doesn’t do it here, and I personally wouldn’t bother making them with fat-free yogurt. It’s all about the texture, darlings!

Cucumber and Dill Yogurt

Ingredients:

• 1 cup full-fat, strained Greek yogurt

• 1/3 cup English cucumber, peeled & finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press or finely minced.

• 1 tablespoon of good olive oil

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill + a bit extra for garnish

• Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

• Put the yogurt in a bowl. Take one clove of garlic, put it through a garlic press, and add it to the yogurt. If you haven’t got a garlic press, mince it as finely as you can and then crush it with the flat side of a chef’s knife.

• Stir in the chopped cucumber and the dill.

• Finely chop the other two cloves of garlic. Warm the oil in a small sauté pan and sauté the garlic for a minute or so to mellow the flavor, but don’t let the garlic brown. Allow it to cool, then stir it into the yogurt.

• Add salt and pepper to taste, stir all ingredients together, and turn the yogurt into a serving dish.

• Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, for at least several hours or overnight.

• Sprinkle the reserved dill on top just before serving, with soft pita for scooping it up.

Honey and Marigold Yogurt

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup full-fat, strained Greek yogurt

• ¼ cup marigold petals, plus an extra tablespoon full for garnish

• ¼ t salt

• 1 T honey

 Method:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Taste the yogurt. The flavor profile should be equal in sweetness from the honey, sour from the yogurt, and pleasantly bitter from the marigold petals. If you’d like it to be sweeter, add a bit more honey.

• Turn into a serving dish and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, for at least several hours or overnight.

• Sprinkle the reserved marigold petals on top just before serving, with soft pita for scooping it up.

Mint & Rose Petal Yogurt with Pomegranate jewels

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• ¼  cup sour cream (or an extra ¼ cup yogurt)  

• 1 T dried mint flakes

• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½  t salt

• 1/8 teaspoon cumin

• 1 tsp dried rose petals

• 1 ½  teaspoons sugar

• Garnish with additional chopped fresh mint, pomegranate seeds & more rose petals.

Method:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

• Turn into a serving dish and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, for at least several hours or overnight.

• Sprinkle the reserved chopped mint, the pomegranate arils, and additional rose petals on top just before serving, with soft pita for scooping it up.