Picture this

It is summer time in Greece. It’s hot and a bit humid. You’ve just spent the day walking around Athens viewing the Parthenon and surrounding agora.

You’re hungry and in need of something to help you cool down. You enter a small taverna on a side street. It’s not on your map or on any online lists. It’s a locals place - the best place you could hope to be.

You going to order a few meze to have. You want to try all the different foods Greece has to offer and a sampling is the best way to go about it.

And the glass of iced water hit your lips, a refreshing sensation takes over you. Finally, out of the heat.

You see this meze on the menu. It’s seems too simple to be there but there it is, you’re reading it. You think if it’s as refreshing at this water is, you’d be in heaven. You order it and a few others.

It arrives at your table with a few other plates, the server say kali orexi and you’re left to indulge, enjoy life, and live like a Greek.

You reach for this meze and pick up a slice. The cucumber feels cold in your hands, you take a bite and cool lemon flavor soothes you. Yep, this is exactly what you needed.

I first had this simple Greek cucumber meze in a similar fashion. On a hot day in Athens in a taverna off Syntagma Square (??ate?a S??t??µat??).

The simple combination of lemon and cucumber with a little sea salt seems so elementary I was curious. The cucumber, being mostly water,  was cold and the salt enhanced the lemon juice.  It just worked so well.

To this day, I have this all throughout summer.  I like to prepare the dish and leave it in the fridge for a bit to get it as cold as possible before eating.  I love the taste, sure, but also the fact that it takes a few minutes to make.

It becomes easy to make a large serving for family and friends to enjoy outside during  a summer BBQ, or something for them to come to after being out in the sun all day.

I prefer to use english cucumbers, but regular ones are fine, too. Use what you like, or better yet, what’s on sale if for a large group.

You could also get a little creative with adding extras. My fiance likes to add some type of spice to it and I have other friends that will like to add so much lemon I don't even know how they can eat it.

It’s simple. It’s easy. and it’s great at cooling you down and for me, it just screams summer.

See Also

Dakos Recipe

Baked Cherry Tomatoes With Feta

Peppers Stuffed With Feta

Ingredients

• 1 english cucumber, peeled and sliced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to preference
• olive oil

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes

• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2

Preparation

 Add cucumber slices to a bowl.

add lemon juice and mix

Add salt and pepper to taste

Once happy, mix everything and empty onto plate

Drizzle with olive oil and serve. 

Note: some places in Greece serve this with some mint or oregano sprinkled over as well. Feel free to add extra lemon juice as well.