Braised Cucumbers

Okay, so like nearly anyone else who's seen "Julie and Julia", all I can say about Braised Cucumbers is "Yumm!" Cooking this vegetable completely changes its personality. Cukes normally are eaten raw and cold, in a salad or with a dip. Cooked and hot, they are a great side dish for anything. You can taste the flavor of the melon, but it's so much richer and deeper than it was before. It doesn't take long to prep, and it doesn't take long to cook. I modified Julia's recipe a tiny bit. And again, all I can say is "Yumm!"

2 medium to large cucumbers
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (white vinegar if lemon juice is unavailable)
1 pinch dried mint leaves or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Peel cucumbers, then slice in half lengthways. Remove all seeds, then cut cucumber in half lengthways so there are four pieces for each cucumber. Cut into one inch sections.

On medium heat, melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet until bubbles disappear, then sprinkle sugar into the butter. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes stirring twice during the cooking time. Add the salt, lemon (or vinegar), and mint and stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for two more minutes, then remove from heat. Serves 4.

I added the sugar to the original recipe so it can safely be omitted, but it adds a nice brown crust or carmalization to we enjoyed. So to you, Enjoy!