Some years ago, I dined at an upmarket restaurant in an old town in Croatia. The menu was modern European but it was rather pricey. For starters, I saw that they had 'courgette carpaccio' and wondered what on earth they would do to it to make it worth 14 Euros...you could buy a plain old courgette for less than a pound here in a UK supermarket. So I ordered it (in fact, it also happened to be the cheapest starter on the menu). I waited in anticipation and was so excited when the waiter arrived with...a plate of thinly sliced courgette doused in a dressing. At this price, I thought, perhaps there's an exquisite flavour sensation about to hit me. It took just a couple of bites to come to the sad realisation that my expectations had been horrifically overblown. It was just a plain unimaginative bit of courgette. My shock still palpable, I ate the mains but don't remember what I ordered. Even though my Croatian trip brings back nostalgic memories, I still burn with anger at that terrible offering. I would have been delighted instead with this stylish cucumber - it looks really trendy and creative and it's not just a garnish, you can eat it! It's worth a great deal more than a 14 Euro courgette slice. You could probably charge £10 for it in a restaurant if you soak it in a sweet vinegar. This checkered pattern will amaze your dinner guests. You just need a cucumber and a knife and a bit of practice. I hope that, one day, I will finally get over my courgette carpaccio nightmare.