Since our Mediterranean Cucumbers need not be peeled, they make lovely tea sandwiches for entertaining guests. Layer thinly sliced cucumbers on buttered bread, lightly salted, chill before serving. First cultivated in Asia, cucumbers were brought to America by Columbus, and eventually grown by Native Americans and colonists from Florida to Canada. Edible plants in the family Brassicaceae are termed Cruciferous vegetables because their seeds are marked with a cross that can be seen under magnification. Widely considered to be healthful foods, they are high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Native to western Europe, the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia, the brassica family boasts more important agricultural and horticultural crops than any other.