Greek Kebabs with Tzatziki and Zucchini Cakes

It's been hot. Summer hot. Summer hot makes me want to eat cool.  Tzatziki may be the perfect Greek definition of 'cool'. 

And remember a few recipes ago I said I would talk about fresh herbs? Fresh herbs are expensive, so I grow 'em!  I have a great back-yard garden, one whole row of which is always dedicated to herbs- basil (always more than one), oregano, dill, savory, rosemary, thyme, chives, parsley and sage.  Don't have a yard? Do you have a patio? Or counter space? I've had a thyme plant growing in a pot that I move in and out-doors with the seasons for going on 3 years now and chives are perennial; they'll come back every year!  Heck, you could put ALL those herbs in one pot to save space!  And most garden centers or even grocery stores sell pre-planted herb pots now.  Do yourself this one favor, get one. You'll save money and just those few fresh herbs make ALL the difference in any recipe. They make an otherwise boring salad zing, an otherwise boring spaghetti dinner special and you start to learn your own tastes... I'm not a big fan of rosemary but lamb and potatoes seem, to me, to require it.  I'm equally complacent about sage but fall squash soups without sage just lack that 'something' they need to be elevated from just some soup to everything that tastes so essentially fall.

But we're not in fall, we're in the dead heat of summer which brings me back to that tzatziki and the herbs.  I usually have bad luck with dill but so far this year, it's hanging in there.  So I knew I wanted tzatziki and had the dill and a whole bunch of oregano so Greek was an easy palate to work with.

Tzatziki

1 7 oz tub of Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cucumber
2 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, cover and chill until dinner's ready

Greek Pork Kebabs

2 boneless pork chops, cubed
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme (I have lemon thyme... it's amazing)
2 tablespoons chopped oregano

Combine all ingredients and marinade for at least half an hour, 1 or more hours preferred.

When the grill is ready, assemble kebabs with

Marinaded pork cubes
red onion
tomatoes
green bell pepper

Grill kebabs, serve with Tzatziki and zucchini cakes. Zucchini recipe for another time... I usually don't get it QUITE right the first time I make it each summer and this was the first. Maybe if I start writing these things down I'll remember what works...