Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint Sorbet

I generally think a cold slice of watermelon is the most refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day. I also cool myself off with a tall glass of water infused with cucumber. Blend these two together, add the summer taste of fresh mint and freeze them and consider yourself refreshed. This is just plain good, but also makes an elegant simple dessert for a dinner party. And you can even make a Southern sgroppino, the Italian cocktail, topping a scoop of sorbet in a wine glass with sparkling prosecco.

This sometimes yields more sorbet base than fits in my ice cream maker. If this happens to you, you can make another small batch, or mix it half-and-half with tea.

Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint Sorbet

3 cups water
1 cup sugar
Large bunch of fresh mint
3 cups seeded watermelon chunks
1 cup peeled cucumber chunks, seeded

Stir the sugar and water together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring a few times, just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and drop in 3 stems of mint. Leave to cool. Remove the mint stems.

Process the watermelon and cucumber chunks in a blender with the sugar syrup and ¼ cup mint leaves. You may need to do this in several batches. Pour through a strainer into a bowl, pressing out as much pulp as possible. Chill for a couple of hours or until very cold. Pour the sorbet mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. Scoop into a freezer container and freeze for several hours until firm.

Makes about ½ gallon