California Walnuts - www.walnuts.org

1. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a larger one. Cover both bowls and set aside.
2. Place the strawberries in a medium-sized saucepan. Without adding any liquid, cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat, until soup-like. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in another, larger saucepan, combine the cornstarch or arrowroot, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Stir in the lemon juice, whisking until uniform. Beat the egg yolks until smooth, then drizzle them into the cornstarch mixture, beating constantly.
4. Continue beating the mixture as you slowly pour in the hot strawberries with all their liquid. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly (but not too fast) with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool for about 30 minutes.
5. Pour the cooled strawberry filling into the tart shell smoothing the top. Chill until set, about 2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450°F.
7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are foamy and beginning to stiffen, sprinkle in ¼ cup sugar and whisk to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until shiny and very stiff peaks.
8. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the meringue over the strawberry filling.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is delicately browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Walnut Shortbread Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the walnuts plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processer and process to a powder with a series of bursts. Add the remaining sugar and the butter and process again for about 3 minutes. Add the flour and salt and process just until the dough holds together.
3. Press the dough into a flattened disc. If it’s too soft you can chill it for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Gently press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base. Press the dough down and ease it into the corners and up the sides. Prick the dough all over with a fork. NOTE: If there’s any extra dough, you can make the sides thicker.
4. Place a sheet of parchment or foil in the crust, weight it down with about 2 cups pie weights or dried beans, and bake in the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil or parchment and pie weights, and bake again until it is deeply golden all over, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Cool completely before filling.