As cool as a thousand cucumbers

IT’S a little effervescent, a little sweet, a little tart -- everything you want from a summer drink, with the winning combination of lemon, cucumber and mint.

“It was unbelievably refreshing with lunch, more like a light, fizzy cucumber elixir than a lemonade,” says Food editor Leslie Brenner, who recently enjoyed a quaff at Wilshire Restaurant. “I could drink them all day long.”

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Cucumber mint lemonade

Total time: About 12 minutes

Servings: Makes 4 drinks

Note: Adapted from Wilshire Restaurant

2 limes, each cut into 8 slices, divided

1 large cucumber, sliced into 1/8-inch slices

8 sprigs mint, divided

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups club soda

In a pitcher, muddle 12 of the lime slices, 16 cucumber slices and 4 sprigs mint to release their juices. Add the lemon juice and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the club soda to combine. Divide the lemonade into four tall glasses and fill the remainder of each glass with ice. Garnish each glass with 1 slice cucumber and 1 sprig mint. Serve immediately.

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Each serving: 62 calories; 0 protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.