Crescents of Melon on Fresh Ricotta

Ingredients

For the syrups:

• 2 cups blueberries, washed and sorted
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 cups raspberries

For the fresh ricotta:

• 7 ½ cups fresh whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup yogurt
• ½ cantaloupe, sliced into 16 crescents, rinds removed
• ½ honeydew, sliced into 16 crescents, rinds removed
• ½ Crenshaw, sliced into 16 crescents, rinds removed
• 8 edible blossoms

8 servings

Preparation

1. To make the syrups, puree the blueberries in a food processor or blender and put them in a small pot. Add half the sugar and cup water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool before running the syrup through a fine- mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Then repeat the same process with the raspberries.
2. To make the ricotta, line a mesh sieve with a double-layered square of cheesecloth, with plenty to overlap the sieve. Meanwhile, combine the milk, cream and yogurt in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture begins to curdle, about 2 minutes.
3. When the milk is curdled, pour it into the cheesecloth and allow it to drain about 5 minutes. Gather up the four corners of the cheesecloth, tie a stick into it as if for a satchel and prop the stick on the edges of a bowl and allow it to drain until firm, about 1 hour.
4. When ready to serve, assemble 8 plates. Paint half of each plate with the blueberry syrup and half with the raspberry syrup. Mound 1/4 cup of the ricotta on the center of each plate. Stack 6 alternating slices of melon together and place on the plate so that the inside of their crescent shape faces the cheese; then fan them slightly. Garnish with an edible blossom. Repeat with the remaining 7 servings.

1 hour 45 minutes