Cucumber Mint Lemonade

A refreshing blend of fresh mint, cucumbers, and lemons

February is a great month to be a Californian. The rest of the country is still in the throes of winter and it's already starting to feel like spring in L.A. We've been entertaining in our backyard a lot lately and did some work to clean it up, plant some new herbs, and prune our lemon tree. It's the peak season for citrus right now, and our tree is absolutely loaded with ripe lemons, including some that are almost as big as grapefruits. I posted a picture of it on my Facebook page (follow me for the latest blog posts and updates) and a friend suggested trying out this cucumber mint lemonade recipe. It comes from the Lemonade cookbook, which is a local restaurant chain in the L.A. area that has - you guessed it! - a wide assortment of lemonade beverages. The cooling flavors of cucumber and mint make a drink that's even more refreshing and flavorful than traditional lemonade, which is perfect for warm days. I added in some vodka for a delicious cocktail and my husband said it was even good with bourbon.


Related Recipes:
- Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade
- Green Smoothie
- Jalapeño Margaritas


Cucumber Mint Lemonade:

• In a blender, combine 2 1/2 c. peeled, chopped English cucumbers, 2 c. lemon juice, 3/4 c. sugar, and 1 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves.
• Blend for about a minute, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
• Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and add in 3 1/2 c. water. Refrigerate until serving.

Serves eight-ten