Cucumber Mojito

This is how lucky I am - Ben makes these wonderful drinks, and I am such a sucker for gin. A happy combination. From The Cocktail Guru.

2 oz gin, Preferably Hendrick's Gin
2 tsps (or Tbsps?) of sugar
5 lime wedges
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
3 slices of cucumber

1. Peel the cucumber. Muddle the mint, limes, cucumber, and sugar.
2. Add the gin.
3. Fill the glass with crushed ice, over what you've muddled.
4. Stir the crushed ice with the mix for few seconds.
5. Garnish with cucumber peel and mint leaf 
6. You can also use: a splash of club soda if you want to make this a fizzy drink, it's a great twist

Rhubarb Martini

I made Laura Calder's rhubarb water but it tasted like the liquid from rhubarb pie - which I like a lot, but I don't want to drink it. We tried different things with the left-overs, like lightening it with sparkling water and adding fresh, crushed mint leaves and lime, which all helped but didn't make it worthwhile to do again. Then Ben decided to try and reproduce the cucumber martini I'd had at the Sylvia Hotel on English Bay - he didn't succeed in that, but tried his hand at making up a rhubarb martini with the leftover rhubarb water, and that was amazing!

1 shot (big) vodka

1 jigger vermouth

1/2 c. rhubarb water

5 mint leaves, crushed

juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Put all the ingredients in a martini shaker with ice and... shake.
2. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and ice to serve.

A Summery Salad - Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

This salad is simple and delicious but requires a lot of fine dicing. It's a great opportunity to develop dicing skills, but if in a rush, not a good recipe for a quick meal.
Please note that the veggies are best when diced into small cubes. It causes that same feeling of plenty that pasta does to me.

1/4 English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 to 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped en chiffonade
A few spoonfuls of olive oil
A dash of red wine vinegar
A squirt of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Boston or Cos lettuce leaves
OPTIONAL Chèvre cheese or feta cheese

1. Dice the avocado first and toss with a squeeze of lemon to prevent browning.
2. Dice remaining vegetables and toss with the chopped mint.
3. Season to taste at the last minute with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve the salad in individual servings in a single lettuce leaf “boat.”
4. OPTIONAL: This is also good with goat cheese or feta cheese scattered on top.