Charantais melon soup with pickled breakfast radishes and melon blossoms. (Serves 6).

ingredients

For the melon soups:

3/4-pound Charantais melon, peeled, seeded, and diced (*)

1/2 lemon juiced and strained

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

For the cucumber jelly:

4 large English cucumbers, seeded and chopped

2 sheets gelatin, softened in 2 cups cold water

Salt and peper to taste

For the preserved ginger:

ginger: 6-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups simple syrup

For the breakfast radishes:

1 bunch French breakfast radishes, steemed (**)

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable stock

3 tablespoons picking spice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the melon blossoms:

18 Charantais melon blossoms (**)

2 lemon juiced and strained

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sun jewel melon, peeled, seeded, and diced (**)

Fleur de sel

For the garnish:

Micro mint (**)

(*)Charantais melons arc a French variety with sweet, deep orange flesh
and an emerald rind. Cantaloupe and honeydew are suitable substitutes.
Available in the summer through The Chefs Garden at [phone].

(**)Available through The Chef's Garden at. (800,) 289-4644.

directions

For the melon soup, in a commercial blender, combine the melon, lemon juice, ad honey and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with three coffee filters in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer the melon soup to a bowl and discard the pulp. Season and reserve. In a small saucepan, heat one cup of cucumber liquid for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin water, whisking to combine. Add the reserved coumber juice and stir to combine, Pour into the prepared pan and set in the refrigerator until firm, about three hours.

For the preserved ginger, in small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Blanch the ginger for three minutes and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Repeat two more times. In a smal saucepan over medium heat, bring the simple syrup an ginger to a simmer and maintain the heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool

For the breakfast radishes, in a large bowl, combine radishes, theme, and bay leaf and set askle. In a medium saute pan bring the vinegar, sugar, stock, and picking spice to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the radishes to cover. Season and set aside to cool.

For the melon blossoms, in a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss to coat. Seaton and reserve.

To serve, arrange some pieces of charantain melon in a soup bowl and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Place some radishes, ginger, and quenelles our cucumber jelly around the dish ad pour some soup on top. Arrange some melon blossoms and sun jewel melons on top and garnish with micro mint.