The cucumber is a long, slim straight vegetable generally eaten raw as a salad vegetable, but also pickled. There are different types of cucumber, for eating and pickling. Eating cucumbers may be ridged or smooth and are usually dark green with tapering ends and pale flesh, although some are lemon-coloured. In the United States eating cucumbers are usually shorter and fatter than European varieties. Pickling, or Kirby, cucumbers are smaller than eating varieties and have black or white spines. Samuel Johnson thought that a cucumber 'should be well sliced and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out as good for nothing.' I think this is a little hard on the cucumber.
Belimbing. A relative of the carambola native to South East Asia, this is a light green, acidic fruit with a smooth yellow-green or slightly rough green skin and juicy, sour flesh. It is added to soups and stews or curries, to which it gives a sour flavour, or made into sweet and savoury preserves, chutneys and pickles. It is sometimes known as the cucumber tree because of the shape of its fruit.
Agaricus bisporus is a white mushroom now widely cultivated. It is the default ‘mushroom’ common in shops. In France the cultivated version is known as 'champignon de Paris'. They come in many forms. In the UK the word 'mushroom' alone most frequently refers to these.
Lingcod. This is not a ling but a member of the greenling family fished in the Pacific along North American coasts, weighing 2.3-9 kg (5-20 lb). It has mottled brown to bluish-green skin with green, brown or terra spots which have a circle around them of orange or light blue. The flesh lightens from greenish-blue to white during cooking.
A cheese made from the milk of Shorthorn cows. There is also a smoked version and versions flavoured with herbs.
A sauce of port, redcurrant jelly and orange and lemon zest, garnished with chopped blanched shallots, served cold with gammon or ham.
A pork sausage with black pepper, which is usually baked.
