water for two hours. When ready for use wipe the cucumbers dry,
set them on a bed of lettuce leaves, asparagus leaves, cress, parsley or
any other pretty garniture, and fill the shells with lobster, salmon or
shrimp salad, asparagus, potato or vegetable salad, mix with mayonnaise
before stuffing and put a little more on top afterwards.

STUFFED CUCUMBERS.

Choose medium sized cucumbers, pare, cut off one or both ends, extract
the seeds, boil from three to five minutes, drain and throw into cold
water to firm, drain again and fill the insides with chicken or veal
forcemeat; line a pan with thin slices of pork, on which set the
cucumbers, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of marjoram and
summer savory, baste with melted butter, or gravy, chicken gravy is the
best, cover with a buttered paper and let bake. Or stuff with a sausage
forcemeat, make a bed for the cucumbers of chopped vegetables and
moisten with stock or water; or fill with a tomato stuffing as for
stuffed tomatoes, baste often with butter, or a nice gravy, put over a
buttered paper and bake until done, in about fifteen or twenty minutes.
The Chicago Record gave the following recipe for cucumbers stuffed with
rice:--Pare thinly five five-inch cucumbers. Cut off one end and remove
the pulp, leaving a thick solid case, with one thick end. Season one cup
of hot boiled rice, salted in cooking, with a tablespoonful of butter, a
"pinch" each of marjoram and summer savory, saltspoonful of grated
nutmeg, four shakes of cayenne and a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Fill
the cucumbers with this mixture; replace the end, fastening it with
small skewers; place in a pan of boiling water, salted, in which are two
bay leaves and a clove of garlic, and boil for ten minutes or until
tender. Drain and serve covered with a cream sauce.

DANDELIONS.

Use the dandelions in the early spring when they are young and tender.
They take the place of spinach and are treated the same. (See Spinach.)
Dandelions may be used as a salad with a French dressing.

EGG PLANT CROQUETTES.

[Illustration]

Peel, slice and boil until tender, mash and season with pepper and salt;
roll crackers or dry bread, and stir into it until very thick. Make into
croquettes or patties; fry in hot lard or with a piece of salt pork.

ESCALLOPED EGG PLANT.

1 egg plant, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, one teaspoonful salt, 1/3
teaspoonful pepper, 1 egg, 4 tablespoonfuls grated cheese, 1
tablespoonful