Granita

Make simple syrup: Place equal parts water and sugar, by weight, together in a sauce pot, bring to a boil and simmer until clear. Cool. It can be used to make sorbets, ices, moisten cakes, make drinks...etc. In a blender combine the melon, wine, lemon juice, and 2 cups of the simple syrup. Blend until smooth. Strain through a large holed sieve into a deep container. Test the mixture for freezing potential by placing the egg (shell and all) into the mixture. You want the egg to show the size of a nickel. Too much sugar will make the egg show more and not enough sugar will allow it to sink. Depending on the results of your test and the ripeness of your melon, adjust accordingly: Add more simple syrup if it doesn't show enough; water or wine if it shows too much. Pour the perfected mixture into a shallow, metal pan (a half hotel pan works great). Place it into the freezer. You can achieve the crystallized "shards" several ways; you can check this mixture several times while it freezes, stirring it with a fork each time to begin the crystallizing, or as I like to do, allow it to freeze completely and pulling towards myself with a large fork, shredding it into crystals. Either way, it will need to freeze 8-12 hours. Serve it up in a pretty, frozen martini glass, garnished with berries and mint. Yield s : dessert for 6