English Cucumbers

Greenhouse cucumbers need not be peeled, and there are no seeds to remove. The skin contains most of the nutrients. Cucumbers are almost always eaten raw, by themselves, in salads or as a sandwich vegetable. They can be gently steeped in butter, stock or even cream, or cut in half, lengthwise, poached and filled with a savory mixture of rice and herbs. Greenhouse cucumbers can be salted if desired.

Hot House Tomatoes

Slicing: To keep tomato slices juicy, slice them top to bottom rather than crosswise.

Seeding: Halve tomato crosswise, then gently squeeze each half and allow the seeds to drip out. Using a rounded spoon handle, scoop out any remaining seeds. To save the juice, seed over a sieve set above a bowl.

Peeling: Cut an "X" through the tomato skin at the bottom of the tomato. Immerse them briefly in boiling water -- 10 to 30 seconds -- then in cold water and peel immediately. Skin should easily peel off.