Salty white cheese is a savory component that complements melon quite nicely. This recipe calls for a mellow, ripe, densely textured variety, possibly as commonplace as cantaloupe or as exotic as a Galia or Charente melon. Don’t use watermelon.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups finely diced ripe melon, preferably 2 varieties of different colors: honeydew, cantaloupe, musk, Galia, canary, etc., but not watermelon
  • Juice and grated zest of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon minced Japanese pickled ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives
  • 2 cups, loosely packed, mâche
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 ounces finely crumbled ricotta salata
  • Ground black pepper
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

      116 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 34 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

6 servings

Preparation

  1. Place melon in a bowl, fold in lime juice and zest and add the ginger and half the chives. Place mâche in a separate bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the vinegar. Arrange dressed mâche in a circle on each of 6 small salad plates, leaving the center of the plate blank.
  2. Pile melon mixture in the center of each plate so it’s encircled by the mâche. If desired, you can pack the melon mixture into small ring molds to make an attractive shape on each plate.
  3. Toss the cheese with the remaining chives and place in a small mound on top of the melon. Drizzle a little of the remaining olive oil on the cheese, shower it with some pepper and serve.

30 minutes

Dining and Cooking