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KU News: Record-high research at KU benefits Kansans; KU, K-State faculty receive research achievement awards

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From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

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Record-high research at KU benefits Kansans, fuels state economy

LAWRENCE — Research and development expenditures spanning all University of Kansas campuses increased to $546.1 million in fiscal year 2024, surpassing the half-billion-dollar mark for the first time in university history. Last year alone, research expenditures at KU supported the salaries of 5,595 people. Additionally, the university spent $86.5 million in 91 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services in fiscal year 2024, according to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science.

KU, Kansas State faculty receive Higuchi-KU Endowment research achievement awards

LAWRENCE — Four faculty members at two Kansas universities were named recipients of the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards, the state higher education system’s most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence. The honorees are Johann (Hans) Coetzee and Walter Dodds, both from Kansas State University, and Hartmut Jaeschke and Dave Tell, both from the University of Kansas. Recipients will be recognized at a ceremony this spring.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Mindie Paget, Office of Research, 785-864-0013, [email protected], @ResearchAtKU

Record-high research at KU benefits Kansans, fuels state economy

LAWRENCE — Research and development expenditures spanning all University of Kansas campuses increased to $546.1 million in fiscal year 2024, surpassing the half-billion-dollar mark for the first time in university history. This record high represents a 17% increase year over year and the ninth consecutive year of research growth for the university.

The reverberations of that growth extend far beyond KU to benefit people throughout the Sunflower State and beyond.

“As one of America’s leading research universities, KU is solving major problems facing Kansans and their communities while simultaneously serving as a vital economic engine for the state,” said Matthias Salathe, KU’s chief research officer.

“Our researchers are driven to improve human health and well-being, sustain life on our planet, enhance safety and security, and so much more,” said Shelley Hooks, vice chancellor for research on KU’s Lawrence campus. “In the process, they are also educating tomorrow’s workforce, creating jobs, launching and attracting businesses, attracting external funding to the state, and investing in the prosperity of Kansans.”

Last year alone, research expenditures at KU supported the salaries of 5,595 people. Additionally, the university spent $86.5 million in 91 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services in fiscal year 2024, according to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science. Vendors in 19 of those counties received more than $102,000 in purchases.

Among research funded during fiscal year 2024 were projects to develop treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease; improve natural disaster resistance of housing; promote healthy brain aging among midlife adults; integrate in-farm solar arrays to diversify farmers’ income; prevent diabetes in rural communities; optimize missile-defense radars; build capacity to produce highly qualified STEM teachers; evaluate community supports for youth with disabilities and more.

Research expenditures are dollars spent to conduct research. A majority of KU’s externally funded research — nearly 70% in 2024 — is supported by federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. KU researchers win grant dollars from these agencies through competitions designed to identify the most innovative ideas for addressing societal challenges. Other sources of KU research funding include state and local governments, private businesses and nonprofit foundations.

Advancing health, economic impact

Additional IRIS reporting shows that KU research contributed $1.34 billion to the U.S. economy between 2011 and 2023, with spending flowing to more than 7,700 vendors and subcontractors over that time. Of the 59% of KU’s spending that could be matched with specific vendors and contractors, more than 990 were small businesses.

The IRIS reports encompass research spending across all KU campuses. That includes the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, where research ultimately contributes to life-changing medical advances.

“We continue to see significant growth in research at KU Medical Center in the quantity and quality of projects being funded,” Salathe said. “Our scientists and researchers are seeking new treatments and health-related approaches to some of our most critical health issues, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”

In addition to nearly $10 million in annual support for the KU Cancer Center, KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Frontiers Clinical & Translational Science Institute, KU Medical Center received a $6.3 million annually renewable award to launch the Heartland Consortium as part of the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program to advance precision medicine. The university also received a grant renewal for the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine, which totals $11.4 million over five years.

KU’s research-related economic impact extends beyond the data captured in IRIS reporting. For example, 54 active startup companies have spun out of KU or are based on KU technologies, and more than half of those companies are located in Kansas. Through the university’s relationship with KU Innovation Park, KU researchers help attract businesses to Lawrence, Kansas City and the surrounding area — companies like Archer Daniels Midland and Garmin — that want to be close to KU researchers and students. The park system, which extends to the medical center campus, includes 74 companies and accounts for 750 private sector jobs and $49.8 million in annual direct payroll.

Influencing rankings, AAU membership

KU’s substantial research activity has helped sustain its membership in the Association of American Universities since 1909, and the university’s annual research expenditures affect its standing in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education & Research Development Survey. KU ranked 47th among public universities for research and development expenditures and 53rd among public universities for federally funded R&D in the latest HERD survey, which is based on fiscal year 2023 data.

The university also claimed the second overall spot in federally financed R&D expenditures in non-science and engineering fields and ranked No. 3 among public universities for overall R&D in non-science and engineering fields.

KU ranked in the top 50 among publics in overall R&D in the following fields and subfields:

No. 1 in Education
No. 3 in Non-Science & Engineering Fields
No. 3 in Social Work
No. 18 in Geological & Earth Sciences
No. 18 in Life Sciences, not elsewhere classified
No. 25 in Sciences, not elsewhere classified
No. 27 in Chemical Engineering
No. 30 in Health Sciences
No. 36 in Chemistry
No. 36 in Psychology
No. 38 in Anthropology
No. 41 in Atmospheric Science & Meteorology
No. 42 in Communication & Communications Technologies
No. 43 in Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering
No. 46 in Life Sciences
No. 50 in Astronomy & Astrophysics

KU ranked in the top 50 among publics in federally funded R&D in the following fields and subfields:

No. 1 in Social Work
No. 2 in Non-Science & Engineering Fields
No. 4 in Education
No. 9 in Visual & Performing Arts
No. 12 in Humanities
No. 16 in Communication & Communication Technologies
No. 21 in Anthropology
No. 30 in Geological & Earth Sciences
No. 30 in Chemistry
No. 30 in Health Sciences
No. 36 in Psychology
No. 38 in Chemical Engineering
No. 40 in Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering
No. 41 in Atmospheric Science & Meteorology
No. 43 in Natural Resources & Conservation
No. 45 in Astronomy & Astrophysics
No. 47 in Civil Engineering
No. 49 in Life Sciences

KU’s fiscal year 2024 research expenditures will be used to determine the university’s 2025 ranking in the NSF HERD survey.

IRIS is a national consortium of research universities using data to understand, explain and improve higher education and research. IRIS reports are based on administrative data that KU supplies to IRIS, which are then merged with other public and private datasets.

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Contact: Vince Munoz, Office of Research, 785-864-2254, [email protected], @ResearchAtKU

KU, Kansas State faculty receive Higuchi-KU Endowment research achievement awards

 

LAWRENCE — Four faculty members at two Kansas universities were named recipients of the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards, the state higher education system’s most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence.

The annual awards are given in four categories of scholarly and creative achievement. This year’s honorees:

Dave Tell, professor of communication studies and co-director of the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities, KU, recipient of the Balfour Jeffrey Award in Humanities & Social Sciences.
Walter Dodds, University Distinguished Professor and Edwin G. & Lillian J. Brychta Chair of Biology, Kansas State University, recipient of the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Sciences.
Johann (Hans) Coetzee, University Distinguished Professor of anatomy & physiology and interim vice president for research, Kansas State University, recipient of the Irvin Youngberg Award in Applied Sciences.
Hartmut Jaeschke, University Distinguished Professor of pharmacology, toxicology & therapeutics, KU Medical Center, recipient of the Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences.

The four will be recognized at a ceremony this spring along with recipients of other major KU research awards.

This is the 43rd annual presentation of the Higuchi awards, established in 1981 by Takeru Higuchi, a distinguished professor at the University of Kansas from 1967 to 1983, his wife, Aya, and the KU Endowment Association. The awards recognize exceptional long-term research accomplishments by faculty at Kansas Board of Regents universities. Each honoree receives $10,000 for their ongoing research.

The awards are named for former leaders of KU Endowment who helped recruit Higuchi to KU.

Balfour Jeffrey Award in Humanities & Social Sciences

Dave Tell is a professor of communication studies and co-director of the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities. His scholarship focuses on one of the most notorious hate crimes in American history.

Tell is the author of “Remembering Emmett Till,” a book that lays out the history of efforts to memorialize Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was killed for whistling at a white woman in a rural Mississippi store. Till’s mother, Mamie, held an open-casket funeral in Chicago, which sparked a national conversation around lynching and catalyzed the American Civil Rights Movement. Efforts to remember Till’s life and murder have been met with opposition. Signs commemorating the murder have been stolen and shot multiple times and defaced with acid. In 2019, a group of college students posted a photo of themselves carrying guns next to the sign.

In response to the vandalism, Tell wrote a New York Times editorial calling for the vandalized Till signs to be placed in a museum. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History responded, creating an exhibit based largely on Tell’s research.

Tell has partnered with the family of Emmett Till to launch the Emmett Till Memory Project, a website and mobile app that lets users visit relevant sites, access archival documents and learn civil rights history on a 21st century digital platform. Tell’s work has been recognized in multiple international publications, and he attended the White House event launching the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Park.

Tell received a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, and a doctorate in communication arts and sciences from Pennsylvania State University.

Olin Petefish Award in Basic Sciences

Walter Dodds is a University Distinguished Professor and Edwin G. & Lillian J. Brychta Chair of Biology at Kansas State University. He evaluates how nutrients flow through freshwater ecosystems, including nutrient pollution, nuisance algal growth and water quality.

Dodds was the lead organizer behind the Stream Experimental and Observational Network, a group of aquatic scientists from across North America who proposed a continent-scale network of sensors that collects data of rivers and streams. This group shaped the design of the National Ecological Observatory Network, which among other things now includes 20 sites that will monitor freshwater sources in the United States for a planned 30 years. The data collected so far has already resulted in hundreds of scientific publications.

This work is both local and global. Dodds’ efforts assess the water quality and biogeochemistry of Kansas freshwater ecosystems, using the pristine Konza Prairie as a baseline. Better understanding these ecosystems can shed light on the effectiveness of conservation efforts essential to protecting the planet. Dodds is recognized among the top 2% of researchers worldwide, according to an analysis by Stanford University.

Dodds received a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Denver and a doctorate in biology from the University of Oregon.

Irvin Youngberg Award in Applied Sciences

Hans Coetzee is a University Distinguished Professor of anatomy & physiology and interim vice president for research at Kansas State University. His research involves the study and mitigation of pain in livestock.

Coetzee grew up around animals on his family’s dairy farm in South Africa. There he noticed that there were no standards for minimizing pain and discomfort in farm animals. While some livestock producers in America use human pain medicine off-label for animals, approval for livestock-specific drugs requires ways of assessing their effectiveness. This is especially challenging since many farm animals evolved to conceal signs of pain to evade predation. Coetzee and his team employed innovative methods — such as pressure mats to assess if animals are limping and thermography to measure skin temperature variations linked to pain-related changes in blood flow — to standardize pain detection.

These tests led to the approval of the first livestock analgesic drug (pain medication) that improved the welfare of millions of animals. Coetzee holds two U.S. patents and is recognized in the top 2% of researchers in his field worldwide by a Stanford University analysis of publications. In recognition of his research contributions, he was recently named the 2025 recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences.

Coetzee received a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science (DVM equivalent) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a doctorate in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University.

Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences

Hartmut Jaeschke is a University Distinguished Professor of pharmacology, toxicology & therapeutics at KU Medical Center. He studies drug-induced liver disease from one of the most commonly used medications.

Acetaminophen is an important over-the-counter medication that provides pain relief to millions of people, but when taken excessively it can cause liver damage. Jaeschke and his research group look at liver cells to assess treatment options. His work helped identify fomepizole, an existing drug, as a new antidote against acetaminophen toxicity. Jaeschke is working on repurposing other drugs for the same purpose.

For some patients, the damage done from acetaminophen requires a liver transplant. Jaeschke and his team have discovered a biomarker that could help clinicians more quickly determine when a liver transplant is needed. With the patent now granted, Jaeschke’s work can go from bench to bedside to help save lives.

Jaeschke received a master’s degree in biochemistry and a doctorate degree in toxicology, both from the University of Tübingen, Germany.

About KU Endowment

KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

[email protected]

http://www.news.ku.edu

 

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

 

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

A Diamond in the Rough

By
tammiehoeme
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JUST A LITTLE LIGHT

By Dawn Phelps

A Diamond in the Rough

Several years ago, while my husband Tom and I were in Arizona, we stared down into a gigantic, deep, bowl-shaped hole which was probably created thousands of years ago.  It was massive, and the memory is still vivid in my mind.

The crater was first discovered by American settlers in the 19th century.  In 1891, the chief geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey believed the crater was formed by a volcano, plausible at the time since there is a volcanic field only 40 miles away.  

In 1903, a mining engineer named Daniel Barringer came up with a new theory.  He believed the massive hole was created by the impact of a large meteor, and his theory was later accepted by researchers.

The crater is located near Flagstaff, Arizona, a large depression 570 feet deep and 4,100 feet across.  Scientists believe that the meteor, weighing about 300,000 tons, smacked into the earth at 26,800 miles per hour.  

They believe a large portion of the meteor disintegrated on impact due to the force and heat, leaving behind iron-rock debris around the impact site.

When the meteor gouged out the massive hole at Meteor Crater, fragments of iron-rock debris had tiny diamonds embedded in them.  Perhaps the diamonds found in the area help support the theory of how diamonds are formed.

We now know it takes carbon, extreme heat, and pressure as found in the core of the earth at about 80–100-mile depths to produce diamonds.  Some diamonds form more quickly than others, and most are produced by volcanic activity which occurs many miles down in the earth.

As pressure from the volcano builds, a channel, referred to as a “pipe,” creates an opening from deep in the earth that moves debris and diamonds upward toward the surface.  In their raw form, diamonds are usually dirty and dull, in need of proper cutting and shining to bring out their brilliance—a diamond in the rough.

Other times diamonds are formed when meteors plummet to earth from outer space, creating heat and pressure as they slam into earth.  As with volcanos, falling meteors leave behind destruction, debris, and sometimes treasures—treasures that must be dug out of the earth or chipped out of rock.

In the early 1900s, some locals, including diamond prospectors, believed the meteor may have also left larger diamonds.  One prospector named Cannon, followed by his burro, roamed the meteor-strewn area in Arizona for thirty years. 

Cannon was closed mouth about his business.  Maybe he found diamonds; maybe he only hoped to.  He went into town about three times a year for supplies, and there were rumors he carried large sums of money. 

Cannon was last seen in 1917 when he was almost eighty.  Then in 1928, a skeleton was discovered in a gravel pit.  There were 2 bullet holes in the skull, and there was a piece of paper with Cannon’s name on it in the pocket of the clothes.  

The coroner identified the dead man as Cannon, and many believed he was killed for his diamonds, a commodity that is sought for, worked for, and thieves are willing to rob or kill for.

Some diamonds are of great value, worth millions of dollars.  They are one of the hardest substances on earth.  They are beautiful.  They, like people, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors—clear, blue, green, red, brown, or yellow.  

Newly discovered raw, rough diamonds can be properly cut and shined, increasing their beauty, brilliance, and value.  Perhaps people are like newly discovered diamonds in the rough.  

Life has a way of dishing out harsh experiences that are not always fair.  Some situations are beyond our control, and we may become frustrated, angry, and sad.  But remember, it takes extreme pressure and unusual conditions for a diamond to form, and even diamonds require polishing so they will shine!

Each of us is unique and valuable, and with work, time, and the help of God and friends, our rough edges can be polished until we shine.  So, hang on.  Maybe you are just a diamond in the rough!

“A jewel unless polished will not sparkle.” (a Japanese saying)

Lovina enjoys having all her family in church together again

By
tammiehoeme
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 Lovina enjoys having all her family in church together again.

 

The sun is shining brightly and the temperature is in the upper twenties. The wind makes it feel colder than that. Twenty-one years ago we moved from our Indiana home to our home here in Michigan in March. It was cold with snow on the ground that year (2004). It doesn’t seem possible that it has been that many years ago. Daughter Lovina was born three and a half weeks early and arrived before we were all unpacked. Son Kevin was born the next year completing our family of eight children. Life has brought many changes during those years.

We are touching up on our cleaning in preparation to host church services here Sunday which will be for daughter Loretta and Dustin’s turn. March 2nd and March 16th were for our turns. We decided to take it twice so we don’t have to host it again later this year. With baby Kylie only being eleven weeks old we offered Dustin and Loretta to take their turn here this time.

On March 16th we invited family and neighbors back for the evening meal. We had around 85 to 90 here for supper. On the menu was Cheesy Ranch Potatoes, ham sandwiches, lettuce salad, taco salad, corn chip salad, and a variety of desserts and pies plus ice cream.

This past Sunday March 23rd nephew Ben and Crystal hosted church in their district. Our church divided with theirs last fall due to the size. This was the first time we visited their district since. Daughters Elizabeth, Susan and Lovina are all in that district. Son Joseph and Grace are in another church district but also attended as did Loretta and Dustin. It was so nice to have the whole family there. Of course, this grandma was very happy to have all her grandchildren there and some of them sat with her during the services. Ben and Crystal have living quarters in the pole barn at sister Emma’s place. Brother-in-law Jacob is still missed on a day like that. It seems like he should be around there. He always loved passing out candy to the children. We have many great memories of him. Rest in peace dear one.

We spent the afternoon at Lovina and Daniel’s house and enjoyed popcorn and other snacks. Our whole family joined us there. Joseph and Grace assisted Elizabeth and Tim on Saturday with their work and spent the night there so they could attend church on Sunday.

Last week Susan left her three youngest sons here while she went to a doctor appointment. Ryan was telling me his name is Ryan Isaiah Bontrager then Curtis said his name is Curtis Dale Yoder. Sister Verena was here and Ryan asked her if she is a Bontrager too. Verena told him that she is a Coblentz. Ryan thinks a little then says “A call blast?”. We had a good laugh over that. You could never tell that those two little boys were not biological brothers. They were both the youngest when they lost a parent. God has a plan for our life although we don’t always understand it. May he always keep his protecting hand over these sweet little ones. The two little boys kept entertained playing Uno and Cover Your Assets. I’m not so sure they knew how to play the last game but I think they might have been making up the rules as they went. Haha! Ervin Jr walked around finding his own entertainment. He is very content here.

Saturday April 5th I plan to be at the Plain and Simple Craft Show, Lord willing. I hope to see you all there if you can come. There will be lots of vendors there. The Address is 345 Van Buren Street Shipshewana,Indiana 46565 (in the Shipshewana auction building)

We received a wedding invitation to Devon and Karen’s wedding on May 8th. Congratulations to the couple! Devon is a brother to son-in-law Ervin. I really hope we can go.

God bless you all!!

Corn Chip Salad

1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce (chopped)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound bacon

6 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

2 ½ cups corn chips, crushed

Dressing

1 cup whipped salad dressing

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

In a large bowl, toss together all salad ingredients, except for corn chips. Whisk together dressings ingredients in a separate bowl. Just before serving, gently stir the dressing in the salad. Top with crushed corn chips.



Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, The Cherished Table, The Essential Amish Cookbook, and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email Questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

 

 

Tzatziki

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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Many of us have been enjoying Tzatziki for years and simply didn’t realize it! It’s something I reach for more and more as we strive for healthier approaches to our eating styles. My first exposure was when I acquired a huge passion for gyros. Yet, I still didn’t reach out and think, ‘Oh, I could be making this dressing/sauce for other uses.’ Before I set into writing my own recipe I spent a great deal of time reading the history and many success and failure stories. That’s how I work as a chef/writer. I do the same thing with floral arranging. If I’m working on something new I totally create it in my mind before it ever reaches the pen or computer. The last thing I did after much research was I purchased a rather high quality pre-made version and went about eating it in different applications.

 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this refreshing dish is as a dip. A couple of nights I came home from work and had fresh carrots dipped in tzatziki. It was perfect! It can go on a summer sandwich, it can become a dressing. Do any of you make the cucumber marinate with sour cream, bit of sugar, vinegar, dill etc.? Did you ever think of it as a form of Tzatziki dressing? Well, it actually is!

 

This is going to be a yogurt based recipe, and the quality of yogurt that you purchase is going to be very important. I used a good quality that stated right on the label that it had been ‘strained;’ 3 times to remove access liquid, and it stated how ‘creamy’ it was. Even though it stated how creamy it was I still strained it before entering it into the recipe. And yes, some people do reach for sour cream versus Greek plain yogurt. Is that wrong, nope, you do what your taste buds like best. If you set down with the ingredients of Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream you will actually find there isn’t that much difference except for calories and fat content Greek yogurt has less fat, and a much higher protein content. Greek yogurt has been strained to remove the whey. I.E. When I use sour cream I frequently stir the liquid/whey back into the sour cream. Greek Yogurt also has the bonus of probiotics.

 

There are times when I can tell right away if someone is using sour cream or Greek yogurt, and there are times when it’s a toss up. The history of Tzatziki has roots in both Greek and Turkish cultures dating w—a—y back there. The name comes from the Turkish word, ‘cacik’ which mean yogurt soup.

In general Tzatziki is the most famous dish to come from the Greek culture. It can contain a variety of spices like dill & mint. The sample I purchased a couple of weeks ago was Parmesan/spinach tzatziki.

 

Let’s chat cucumbers for a moment. This is where I feel a great deal of mistakes are made. First; let me just say if you see me purchasing cucumbers in the store it will most likely be an English Cuke, or the small baby cukes used in pickling, you know the ones packaged with 5-7 in a sealed bag. (Pickling Cumbers) Why, am I so particular? Generally regular store cucumbers are allowed to get extremely large, this also means massive size seeds. If you’ve gardened much in your life you know allowing cukes to get too big is a mistake. The larger the cucumber becomes the more chance of some serious indigestion, high water content and less crispiness. Anyone with reflux will tell you how they cannot eat these cucumbers. They are also very moisture filled. (Live in a small town and can only get giant cucumbers, at least deseed them before putting on salads.)

 

With large cucumbers comes very large seeds, cucumber seeds contain an amino acid called; a cucurbitacin. This compound also gives off a bitter taste. (Starting to make some sense now?) The compound can also cause digestive distress, thus why some folks only eat them early in the day.

 

So when I went about preparing the small cukes or English cucumber for the recipes I did the following: First; I left all the skins on after washing, then I removed all the seeds before grating the cuke. I pressed it through a sieve quite a bit with a tool or my hand. When I felt it was squeezed dry I

then put it into a clean paper towel or a tea towel and allowed it to set while more moisture was drawn out. Remember we are trying to keep the dish from having any water sitting in it.

 

Another thing I do in order to watch the liquid content is I use lemon zest; where as many use lemon juice. I want this sauce tight, no runny stuff.

 

OK, I’ve given you lots of tips and insight into a good outcome on this recipe. It would be yummy on your Easter table served with fresh vegies, especially for the little ones. Good for the lunchbox or an upcoming car trip! How about this idea: I love eggplant sandwiches with greens, cheese, tomato, herbs and the like. The tzatziki would be delicious in this Sammie! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

 

Debbie’s Tzatziki Sauce

 

16 ounces of a creamy, plain Greek yogurt.

mini cukes (sold in a bag with 5-7 per bag) Or an English cucumber, grated, drained well-

(Leave green skins on cucumber remove all seeds.)

3 minced garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh minced dill or 1 teaspoon dry dill

1-2 tablespoons crumbled, or grated Parmesan cheese

Half zested lemon, average lemon, mine was rather large!

Salt, ½ teaspoon for draining cucumber and an additional ½ teaspoon for recipe as a whole.

Pepper, ¼ teaspoon to start.

Aleppo ( Ah, leh po) Pepper Flakes ,1-2 pinches

 

Only 1 bowl is needed to make this dish.

 

Pour yogurt into a small mesh strainer, to remove any runny whey. (A coffee filter worked for me.)

Take washed cucumber and grate them on a box grater. Using a utensil push as much liquid from the cukes as possible. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain on a couple of paper towels, cheese cloth or a tea towel also a good things to strain. While cucumber sits with salt on it (pulls moisture out) add all remaining ingredients except the Aleppo pepper flakes.

 

Press as much moisture out of the grated cucumbers and add them to the mix. Add the Aleppo pepper flakes one pinch at a time, stir and sample. With one pinch I couldn’t tell there was any present.

 

What to serve with it:. Fish, chicken, kabobs, gyros, pita chips, vegetable sticks, fries, zucchini or cabbage fritters or salmon patties I’m using mine this week on cabbage fritters. Last week I enjoyed it with carrot and cucumber sticks. Very refreshing.

 

 

Aleppo pepper sometimes called Halaby pepper brings a unique flavor with a mild, slow—building heat. It tastes a little fruity, with raisin-like notes, sun dried tomatoes and subtle cumin undertones.

Used frequently in Mediterranean style foods. Add the first pinch in this recipe, then sample before adding the second pinch.

 

Additional ingredients to add to your Tzatziki Sauce:

Avocado, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, finely minced spinach, finely chopped artichoke,

red onion, green onion, Parmesan Asiago or feta cheese-

He, She Or It

By
Lee Pitts
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lee pitts
I’ve always had a problem with sex. No, not in the sense you’re thinking about. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about identifying animals and babies as “he” or “she” and then being wrong about it. Birds are easy to identify because the male is always the better looking and some would argue that’s true with humans too. We used to raise mallard ducks and they are a dead giveaway because the female is always a drab and dreary muddy brown while the drake is very colorful with a bright blue or green ring around his neck. The female ducks seem to quack a lot more too.
I’ve never had a problem identifying the sex of chickens, hogs or horses and I’ve been around so many cattle in my life I can tell their sex just by looking at their heads, I don’t even have to see their toolbox. I’ve also raised lot of sheep and can usually tell what sex they are immediately but if the males have been castrated it makes it a little more difficult. With older sheep I can usually guess right about 100% of the time. But I’m not so lucky with cats and rabbits who are impossible to tell.  Goldfish and fluffy itty-bitty dogs aren’t exactly a piece of cake either.
Just the other day I saw a beautiful collie and complimented the woman who owned her by saying, “My, you must take great pleasure in owning such a fine looking dog.”
“It’s not a dog, she’s a bitch,” said the person I thought was a woman but turned out to be a man.
Of course I was just referring to the colloquial term for canines but people have become real sticklers these days when it comes to vocabulary. I think it has something to do with political correctness. Take people for instance. It used to be a human was either a male or a female but these days there are some 52 official ways to identify the sex of a person. I liked it better when there were only two. Babies used to be especially easy for me because the parents would either dress their child in pink for girls or blue for boys. Now that they’re dressing them in peach, turquoise and mauve I have much more trouble. There are other ways to go with the odds in identifying the sex of babies. For example, some professor with way too much time on his or her hands has figured out that returning soldiers, male abalone divers, fighter pilots and anesthetists tend to have more girls than boys so I always try to find out the parent’s occupation before I try to guess the sex of any baby I comment on.
People are getting as hard to tell as oysters and clown fish who can change their sex almost on a moments notice. I guess now you can say the same thing about people with “gender reassignment surgeries”. Just the other day I saw a couple of women visiting my bachelor neighbor and I made a snarky comment to him about the two ladies who came calling. “They weren’t both women,” he said. “That was Jason and his mother. You know Jason. You gave him your old computer.”
“That was Jason,” I exclaimed. “The one with the long blonde hair, earrings, and capri pants?”
Things have gotten so confusing now I usually wait until I see which restroom a human uses before I’ll commit to calling them a “he” or a “she” but with the advent of unisex bathrooms I’m back to being left in the dark.
For awhile I classified all babies as “its” but one especially sensitive parent got real pushed out of shape about me referring to her baby as an “it” so I’ve had to change my tactics. Now I just go with the odds and since 50.8% of babies are born male and 49.2% are born female I’ll usually just say, “That’s a beautiful baby boy you have there.”
Invariably the parent will say, “She’s a girl, I’ll have you know.”
“I’m sorry,” I’ll say. “I didn’t know you were her father.”
“I’m not, I’m her mother.”
Sometimes you just can’t win.
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