Refreshing Cucumber Limeade

I can see your reaction as you read this recipe title (no WAY!)  This isn’t a vegetable drink (and no - it’s not even healthy, sorry about that)  But it IS a way to use your bumper crop of cucumbers so you feel better about not wasting them - and it's a refreshing drink to boot. No long list of strange ingredients either.

Last summer I posted an unusual summer drink - Allison Dastrup’s Summer Punch.  This recipe is it’s close relative, with just a few changes in how it’s prepared.  I think it’s much easier to make and just as good.  

I have been educated on Sonic crushed ice.  It makes a (big) difference in drinks like this.  If you have a Sonic near you, consider yourself extremely privileged.  If not, check out your local grocery store meat department or deli.  It’s the same pebble ice they use to line their display cases - very pretty.  If you can’t find pebble ice, do the best you can with other crushed ice.  Once it melts down slightly, it will still work well.

The main difference in this version, is that there is no tedious chopping and/or peeling of the cucumber to get it’s flavor into the drink.  Thin slices all around the perimeter of the punch bowl help the ice and water take on the cooling flavor of the cukes.

It’s also nice to be able to get it all “on ice” an hour before you need it, so you have time to worry about the rest of the menu.  That alone scores points with me for simplicity.

This makes enough for 10-12 people, plus a little extra to keep in the refrigerator.  But once the ice melts, it’s like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight.  It’s no longer irresistible, and you need to start over!

Enjoy while cucumbers are still hard to give away - but it only takes ONE cucumber to make an entire punchbowl.

The full recipe with instructions can be found at:
www.changeabletable.com