SC - Torta de melones

[Vincent Cuenca]

Do I count as "The usual suspects"?  :)

orta de melones

Tomase el melon limpio de la corteza y de la semilla, y que no este muy 
maduro, y cortese a bocadillos, y haganse freyr poco a poco con manteca 
mezclandolo con la cuchara de contino, saquese y dexese enfriar, y passese 
por el colador, y a cada dos libros de melon frito an~adansele seys onzas de 
queso de Tronchon or Parmesano y seys onzas de requeson, or queso fresco 
bien majado, seys onzas de queso de Pinto mantecoso una onza de canela, 
media onza de pimienta, seys onzas de azucar, diez hiemas de hueuos frescos, 
o a lo menos seys con las claras, y tengasa la cazuela tortera vntada con 
manteca, con vn ojaldre de pasta algo gordo hecho de la flor de la harina, 
agua rosada, hiemas de hueuos, manteca de vacas, y sal, y su tortillon 
ojaldrado alrededor, y pongase dentro la composicion, y hagase cozer en el 
horno con manteca derretida por encima, y en estando casi cozida hagase la 
corteza de azucar, y canela, y en estando cozida siruase caliente.  Desta 
manera se puede hazer de los duraznos y aluaricoques, y ciruelas mal 
maduras.

Melon Torte

Take melon cleaned of the rind and the seeds, and which should not be very 
ripe, and cut it into bite-size pieces, and fry them bit by bit with lard 
mixing them with a slotted spoon (?), take them out and let them cool, and 
pass them through a strainer, and to each two pounds of fried melon add six 
ounces of Tronchon or Parmesan cheese amd six ounces of curds, or well 
mashed fresh cheese, six ounces of fatty Pinto cheese one ounce of cinnamon, 
half an ounce of pepper, six ounces of sugar, ten fresh egg yolks, or at 
least six with the whites, and have the torte pan greased with lard, with a 
leaf of somewhat thick dough made with the best flour, rose water, egg 
yolks, cow's lard, and salt, and its layered crust all around (?), and put 
the mixture in, and let it cook in the oven with melted lard over it, and 
when it is almost cooked make the crust with sugar, and cinnamon,* and when 
it is cooked serve it hot.  In this way you can make it with peaches and 
apricots, and poorly ripened plums.

*This is similar to de Nola's recipe for Torta Genovesa, which instructs the 
cook to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the torte as it is baking to form a 
crisp layer.

Mind you, this is a quick and dirty translation.  I'm totally faking 
"cuchara de contino"; could also be "stir continuously with a spoon".    
Sounds yummy, though.  Maybe I'll try this for Queen's Prize next year!  :)

Vicente
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