Earth Day Cucumber Martini

This may sound a bit strange to those of you who have never heard of such a thing. But for those few who have been lucky enough to taste a Cucumber Martini – well, it’s simply a tall drink of Spring and somehow feels appropo today, on Earth Day . Here’s my version-
-I puree in a blender 1 cucumber (English cucumbers preferred, but I’ve also used the cheap, waxy ones and they work just fine…you just may need to add a bit more syrup to the finished product)
-I then strain the pureed mush through a sieve and reserve the thin liquid and discard the pulp. (Or eat the pulp, there’s nothing wrong with it really, and the way I was raised was, ‘we don’t waste toast’ so I always feel bad throwing anything away…it’s fiber, right?)
-Then I make a simple syrup infused with mint- (2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, bring to boil with a handful of fresh mint thrown in). Allow to cool.
-To make 1 martini-Put about 2 ounces of cucumber juice in a shaker filled with ice and add an ounce or so of the cooled simple syrup, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and an ounce-ish of Gin. (these measurements depend on the type of cucumber you used, but I recommend tasting it as you add the syrup…it should be slightly sweet and minty, but not cloying.)
-Shake the heck out if it and strain into a martini glass.
-Garnish with a slice of cucumber, lime slice, and/or fresh mint sprig
*Note on the type of Gin-If you are able to find Hendrick’s Gin, which is infused with cucumber and rose, then you need to buy it and covet it. It’s what I prefer to use in this cocktail but it’s also a bit hard to find and it’s not entirely necessary…cheap gin works just fine:)
Happy Earth Day!