Certain food combinations are much more than the sum of their parts: tomatoes and basil; bacon and eggs; chocolate and raspberries. To this list, I must add goat cheese and honey. Just drizzling honey on goat cheese and eating on a cracker is a sensory delight. Inspired by this taste, I created this dessert to showcase goat cheese and honey. Of course, I used the honey from our bees. Italian meringue makes a wonderful topping because it always looks beautiful and no baking is required. 

Strawberry Meringue Tart with Goat Cheese and Honey

for the pastry crust:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour into small pellets. Stir in the egg and mix just until the dough sticks together. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured rollpat, roll out the dough and fit into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is light brown and dry.

for the honey-goat cheese filling:

• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1 cup goat cheese at room temperature
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled, washed and halved

Melt the jam and rum together. Remove from heat and brush on the crust. Mix together the cheese and honey by hand, then spread over the jam. Arrange the strawberries on top of the cheese. Top with meringue.

for the Italian meringue:

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg whites

Combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and cook (with a candy thermometer) until the syrup reaches 248 degrees. When the sugar is close, start whipping the whites in a stand mixer on high speed. Very slowly pour the sugar into the whites. When finished adding the syrup, turn off the mixer and place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip. Pipe the meringue on top of the strawberries. Use a torch to brown the meringue.