This one is REALLY difficult to choose.  It’s the most difficult of all.  I mean all these LOVELY things we like that begin with C.  Cucumber, carrots, chard, cauliflower, coriander, chard, caraway, celery, celeriac, cabbage (well, I’m not that keen on cabbage).  And then there’s wild flowers, colts foot, cats ear, camomile, cornflower.  Fred and George tried crocus once.  Mummy told them off as it’s supposed to be poisonous as it’s a bulb.  I didn’t know that.

I think cucumber is my favourite.  There’s nothing like a nice slice of cucumber as a treat.  You take it gently from Mummy then reverse into a nice quiet corner to eat it all to yourself.  Trouble is I back into what was a nice quiet corner and find someone else has backed in there from another direction.  Well, as long as they don’t steal my cucumber that’s all right. But as I like to eat my cucumber in quiet contemplation, sometimes I find it’s disappeared from beneath my mouth.The best way to eat cucumber is to turn the edge round and eat the nice green skin, then nibble into the seeds.  Someone said mummies should deseed the cucumber in case we choke on the seeds.  Excuse me! We are quite capable of eating nice fresh cucumber seeds embedded in the flesh, thank you.  The seeds are nice and munchy.

The best time for having cucumber is any time.  But it’s even better if you are feeling thirsty.  Mummy used to take Hugo and me on long journeys every now and then.  When we stopped for a break she’d give us cucumber which was nice and refreshing.  Then we’d eat any grass she would put us on.

I do find the exact flavour of cucumber changes during the year.  I suppose it’s because it’s a fruit and it only grows in the garden in the summer (and the autumn a bit).  In the winter and spring it comes from Uncle Shaun.  Mummy grew some cucumbers last year.  They were really really delicious.  The only trouble was she insisted on eating some of them herself.  Well, I suppose I have to share my cucumber with my Mummy.  The leaves of the plant are nice too.  Funny texture, but very flavoursome.  I wonder if we’ll have cucumber in the garden this year?