I tend to be fiery by nature. I’m much more comfortable in snow than sun. Since Houston isn’t exactly my ideal climate, I have plenty of methods in place to keep cool. In order to stay hydrated and get a little cooling action at the same time, I use mint and lime a lot throughout the summer. They make the perfect addition to this delicious, fresh melon agua fresca. I typically don’t like to sweeten mine but I’ll leave that part of the recipe up to you.

I’ve reached the point in the summer when the will to turn on either the oven or stove is lost. I’m sure you can relate, especially with the temperatures in the triple digits these past several days. The saving grace of summer is almost always the produce! Cucumbers for instance are incredibly hydrating and cooling. While they don’t have chemical constituents that physically cool tissues in the body, their high water content means that cucumbers can be up to 20 degrees cooler than their surrounding environment! So find yourself some cucumbers, make this salad, and kick back and enjoy it in the shade.