I pretend to be very grown-up, self-sufficient and independent. In reality, I am desperate, needy and pathetic. Don’t tell anybody!

I am such a loser. Seriously! The most obvious manifestation of this is the way I behave whenever one of my kids sends me a text. I stop whatever I’m doing and get so happy that if there’s anyone nearby I’m sure they think I’ve started drinking again.

I was thrilled when Megan called to tell me she was making Frickin’ Chickasee for supper. An hour later, she sent me a photo with the caption: “OMG.” I felt that my entire life was worthwhile. I know. I don’t get out much.

So you can imagine my totally lame, but profound joy the other night when Brian sent me a picture of his supper. It was a pork chop completely covered with something that he described as “avocadziki.” His text: “Was looking for something to make pork more interesting and I think I invented something good”. He described how he made it (an avocado-enriched riff on tzatziki, a family favorite) and then added: “Ignore that it looks like cat puke. It’s worth a try.”

I know my son well enough to take his suggestion seriously, and I barely tweaked his recipe. He was right; it was worth not only a try, but also a meal and a blog post. I did omit a syllable in the name for the sake of simplicity.

Avoziki

Brian’s version contains feta, mine adds cumin. Try it both ways and let me know what you think.

Serves 4-ish

1 cup greek yogurt
1 ripe avocado, small dice
1 hothouse or kirby cucumber, seeded, small dice
1 scallion, sliced
juice of 1 lemon
cumin, to taste
cayenne, to taste
salt and pepper

Place the cucumber in small strainer and salt it liberally. Let stand for 20 minutes and then place in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. Taste for seasoning. Adequate salt is essential; if there’s not enough, you won’t be able to taste the other flavors well.

Serve with vegetables to dip.

Variations: Try it with herbs. Dill, chives, parsley, mint, and/or cilantro are all good. Feta is a brilliant addition. Sub lime for the lemon. Or go further with the Mediterranean theme and add some tahini. Remembering the sheer brilliance of Hummole, add mashed chickpeas for a tri-hybrid.

Other serving ideas:

Take Brian’s suggestion and top a broiled or grilled pork chop.
Use as a dip for pita or chips.
Instead of tzatziki in a mezze platter, gyro, or souvlaki.
Topping or condiment with salmon.
Serve with grilled chicken, lamb, or shrimp.

Note: The gorgeous wooden spoon in these photos is from Polder’s Old World Market!