What better way to jazz up a Monday than with a tequila cocktail kicked up with jalapeño and (surprise!) tomatillos? I was super proud of my friend, blogger/artist/consultant Meg Biram (little known fact: she was one of my college besties!) when she told me she’d started subscribing to a CSA basket, since back in our college days, Meg wasn’t that into culinary experimentation. I invited her to stop by and share what she’s been cooking up with all that fresh summer produce, and this refreshing libation was the result. Take it away, Meg!
I’ve been wanting to try a produce delivery service for a few years because I want to try to eat more fresh food and support local farmers. I finally found one that was a little more flexible than what I’d seen before, so I was ready to go for it. What I love so much about my weekly basket is that the produce dictates my recipe planning for the week and helps me try new recipes I would have never thought of otherwise. I’m not the most seasoned chef, so I asked my friend and dietitian Carlene to help me come up with some ideas for the produce I received in my basket. Since there are only a couple more weeks to raise a glass to summertime, we loved the idea of a refreshing cocktail that used the tomatillos and jalapeños from my delivery. 
Tomatillo Cucumber Cocktail
*makes 2
Ingredients
for the rim:
- Sea Salt
- Cayenne Pepper
for the cocktail:
- 1/2 cup Cucumber Juice
- 1 lime
- 3 oz tequila
- 2 T agave syrup
- 4 small tomatillos
- 1/2 jalapeño
- optional: fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Juice 1 peeled cucumber, or add 1 medium peeled cucumber to a high powered blender with 1/2 cup water. Strain and discard solids.
- In a shaker, add cucumber juice, the juice of 1 lime, tequila and agave (or simple syrup) over ice. Shake to combine and chill.
- Wet the rim of the glass with a wedge of lime and dip in a mix of sea salt and cayenne pepper. Add husked and chopped tomatillos and the optional cilantro to the glass. Muddle. Add ice and a few jalapeño rounds.
- Pour mixed drink from shaker in the glass. Garnish with tomatillo.
*styling by Meg Biram, recipe by Carlene Thomas, photography by Abby Jiu, produce provided by From the Farmer.
