"The fruit contains little besides water, some grape-sugar, and a trace of volatile flavoring water." Thus a distinguished dietetist. Cucumbers are by him tabulated as containing ninety-six parts of water and two parts of sugar (glucose). The other constituents are put down in fractions.

Nevertheless, millions of people find them toothsome and refreshing, and perhaps one-half the number maintain that the "fruit " does not disagree with them. This latter item of testimony would be more general if cucumbers were eaten fresh and were sometimes cooked, instead of always appearing upon their tables raw.

Stewed Cucumbers

Peel and quarter six cucumbers and lay them in ice-cold water for fifteen minutes. (Do not salt the water.) Then put them into a shallow saucepan; cover with boiling water and cook slowly for half an hour. Drain, without pressing, leaving the quarters whole; transfer daintily to a heated platter and cover with a maitre d'hotel sauce (see Sauces). Eat hot.

Stuffed Cucumbers

Cut full-grown cucumbers of uniform size into halves and remove the seeds. Fill the halves with a force-meat of minced chicken, or veal, or lamb, or fish, mixed with one-third the quantity of fine crumbs, seasoned with salt, butter, and cayenne. Place two filled halves carefully together, bind in place with soft string; lay the cucumbers in a bake-pan and just cover with good stock. Cover and cook tender in a moderate oven. One hour should do this. Clip the strings, lay the cucumbers in a hot dish, and keep them warm over boiling water, while you thicken the pan-gravy with a roux of browned flour, boiling up once. Pour about the cucumbers and serve.

This is a popular Syrian dish, and is much liked by tourists. Vegetable marrows are prepared in like manner by native cooks.

Stuffed Cucumbers With Tomato Sauce

Prepare as directed in the last recipe, but stir into the pan-gravy a cupful of strained and seasoned tomato sauce with the roux.

Fried Cucumbers

Pare, cut into slices nearly half an inch thick. Lay in ice-water for fifteen minutes. Wipe dry, dust with pepper and salt, and flour, or dip into egg, then into cracker-dust and fry in deep, hot cottolene. Drain, and serve hot and dry. Pass sliced lemon with them, or mayonnaise dressing.

Cucumbers Fried In Batter

Pare six cucumbers and cut crosswise into slices half an inch thick. Lay in ice-water while you make a batter of one cupful of milk, one egg, well beaten, a saltspoonful of salt, half as much paprica, and a heaping cupful of flour in which is sifted, twice, the salt and a scant half-teaspoonful of Cleveland's Baking Powder. Beat quickly to a light batter, dip the cucumber slices into it, and drop, one at a time, into deep, hot cottolene. Cook as you would doughnuts, and drain in a hot colander before serving.

Deviled Cucumbers

Fry as in recipe for Fried Cucumbers, and when all are done heap upon a heated platter. Pour over them this sauce :

One cupful of strained hot tomato-juice; half a teaspoonful of salt and the same of made mustard, a teaspoonful of sugar, a pinch of cayenne, a dozen drops or so of onion-juice, a table-spoonful of salad oil, and the juice of half a lemon. Heat all together until scalding; pour over the cucumbers and send to table.

CREAMED CUCUMBERS. An English Recipe.

Pare the cucumbers, cut crosswise into half-inch slices, and leave for half an hour in ice-water.

Cover them with boiling water and simmer fifteen minutes. Drain and throw away this water, and just cover the cucumbers with more, boiling hot, in which has been melted a tablespoonful of butter. Salt and pepper, and keep hot in a pan of boiling water until the sauce is ready.

Make a roux of one tablespoonful of butter heated and worked smooth with one of flour, then thinned with a cupful of hot cream, and seasoned with salt and cayenne. Line a hot platter with slices of buttered toast, turn the cucumbers upon these, squeeze the juice of half a lemon upon them, and pour the cream sauce over all.