Savory Melon Tartare

• 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, mache
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 ounces finely crumbled ricotta salata
• Ground black pepper

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

melon, lime, minced japanese, chives, mache, extravirgin olive oil, rice vinegar, ricotta salata, ground black pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016666 (may not work)