The complementary flavours in this thing are what make it so perfect. Pepper, strawberries, lemon, goat cheese, honey… they all work beautifully together one-on-one. And when they all get together? It's a straight up party. That I want to eat.
And then, there’s the wine.
If this is your vibe,
here are some other recipes you might enjoy:
The Dip
This dip = SO GOOD. And so pretty. It combines tart, tangy, ridiculously creamy whipped goat cheese with sweet strawberries, peppery honey, and candied nuts/seeds to create a fresh (yet intense) flavour explosion and textural dream.
The whipped cheese: Whipping the tangy goat cheese with the ricotta and olive oil makes it airy and creamy while preserving the flavour from goat cheese, and the addition of lemon juice and pepper perfectly complement its earthy tanginess.
The cracked pepper honey: This is my twist on hot honey, and it’s fantastic. I mean, you have to really like pepper… but if you do, you’ll LOVE it. It’s simply honey infused with cracked black pepper (and a bit of salt), and it plays so beautifully with both the whipped goat cheese and the strawberries!
The candied nuts/seeds: The goal here is that CRUNCH! It contrasts the silky whipped cheese in the best way, keeping it from being too one-dimensional. I used walnuts and sunflower seeds because I love them with strawberries and happened to have both on hand, but you can honestly use any nuts and/or seeds! Pistachios, almonds, cashews… all would be delicious.
The toppings that bring it home: Toppings are always optional, but in this case I highly recommend you do what I did!! Fresh basil, lemon zest, and flaky salt (which I love for the salt and the texture). The basil and lemon bring in some beautiful freshness and are basically made for strawberries, goat cheese, and pepper, and the salt amps up allll the flavours.
The complementary flavours in this thing are what make it so perfect. Pepper, strawberries, lemon, goat cheese, honey… they all work beautifully together one-on-one. And when they all get together? It’s a straight up party. That I want to eat.
And then, there’s the wine.
The Wine Pairing
How could I NOT pair this one with a Tavel Rosé?! And with Valentine’s Day coming up, this lovely wine style has to be featured.
What is Tavel?
Tavel is France’s only appellation dedicated exclusively to rosé, and honestly? They don’t mess around. Located in the Southern Rhône, just across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel makes some of the most incredible rosé in the world.
Tavel rosés are lush (almost creamy) with crisp acidity, and while many seem to assume they are sweet because of their gorgeous deep coral colour — for which I have no idea why — they are legally required to be dry. aka not sweet at all. I have, however, been called a liar on multiple occasions when sharing this fact at my wine tastings, which is likely because of their incredible flavour intensity. Flavours like ripe strawberries and juicy watermelon that are associated with sweet things. SO when you first open a bottle of Tavel, you might smell it (even taste it) and think it’s sweet.
But I promise, I’m not lying.
The leftover sugar content in a bottle of Tavel (aka the Residual Sugar) needs to be under 6 g/L (legally). That means the entire bottle would have a max of 4-5 grams of sugar (around a teaspoon), and each glass would have about 1 gram of sugar (1/4 teaspoon). For reference, a large orange has about 15 grams.
So. Tavel = not sweet. But it might taste sweet. And in my very humble opinion, that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing.
My Pick: Chateau de Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé
Region: Tavel, Southern Rhône, France
Producer: Chateau de Trinquevedel
Grape(s): Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Syrah
Structure: Medium- to full-bodied, dry, with subtle tannins and bright acidity
Flavours: Ripe strawberry, watermelon, pink grapefruit, dried herbs, subtle pepper spice
Why It Works:
Matching Flavours: Strawberry and strawberry, pepper and pepper, herbs and herbs — the wine and dip share so many flavours, it’s almost like it was planned! ;)
Texture Contrast: The wine’s acidity cuts through the creamy, rich goat cheese, refreshing the palate without overpowering the cheese.
Matching weight and intensity: Both the wine and dip are crisp and fresh, yet intense in flavour. Because of this, they work together instead of against each other! (#1 goal of food and wine pairing: You want both the wine and food to be better together. And if that’s not possible, you at least want them to leave each other alone. Nobody likes a fight.)
Alternatives to Tavel:
If you can’t find this specific wine, any Tavel would work! The quality standards in Tavel are so high, it’s hard to find a “bad” one. Just ask someone at your local wine shop and they’ll help you find one, or at least something similar.
Any rosé from the South of France (like from Provence or Languedoc) should pair well with this recipe, and the Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese from Washington’s Columbia Valley is another fun alternative that’s always reminded me of Tavel (and it’s pretty widely available). I posted about it a couple years ago paired with my Strawberry Balsamic 4-Cheese Pizza!
Full Recipe: Strawberry Cracked Pepper Honey Whipped Goat Cheese
