If you have ever tasted a lush, soft, sweet, glossy, locally grown strawberry and then sampled one of those pumped-up, pinkish-red, crispy monsters shipped in from California, you have tasted what writer Russ Parsons calls "the paradox of the strawberry."

"In its wild state, it is a highly seasonal, wildly flavorful fruit that is as fragile as a soap bubble," he writes in his new book, "How to Pick a Peach" (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). "Yet in our passion for it, we have managed to turn this dreamy berry into a year-round staple as resilient as Styrofoam and only a little more flavorful."

In truth, it is nearly impossible for anyone (including Parsons) to buy wild strawberries. They are extremely difficult to grow and have a season that lasts about a nanosecond. The fruit is fragile and cannot be shipped.

But a commercially cultivated berry from your own region is going to be better than one shipped in from afar. Like corn and tomatoes, strawberries make what Parsons calls "the old 'buy local, buy seasonal' mantra" ring true.

That's because commercially grown berries from the West Coast are selected for shelf life and ship-ability. They are irrigated aggressively to make them large and firm. They are picked underripe so they can travel long distances. Locally grown berries, on the other hand, are likely to be a variety selected for taste and for hardiness in your area. They are likely to be picked at peak ripeness. And it is quite possible they will have been grown with fewer pesticides than the California berries. According to a publication by the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin, "Strawberries use more pesticides per acre than any other crop grown in California" (www.cias.wisc.edu/pdf/tags/natberry.pdf). Strawberries are difficult to grow organically, as they are prey to myriad pests, mold and weeds. But if you can find an organic grower near you, so much the better.

Every food authority I consulted, including Parsons, admonished the home cook to use those tasty, locally grown berries in fresh preparations. If you are determined to use those giant ones from the supermarket, then feel free to cook them up in compotes or pies. The recipes here, for fresh berries, come from Dorrie Greenspan's extraordinary book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Houghton Mifflin, 2006); from "River Run Cookbook" by Jimmy and Maya Kennedy and me (HarperCollins, 2001); and from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (Wiley Books, 1998).

LA PALETTE'S STRAWBERRY TART

For the dough:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

For the filling:

1 quart ripe strawberries

sugar, optional

splash of kirsch or creme de cassis, optional

freshly ground black pepper, optional

1 (10-ounce) jar best-quality strawberry jam

For serving:

creme fraiche (see Cook's note) or whipped cream

Cook's note: Creme fraiche is a thick, slightly sour cream sold in many supermarkets and also in specialty stores. If you can't find it and do not want to use whipped cream, substitute the recipe for "Swedish cream" below.

No more than half a day before serving, make the tart shell: Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. Stir the yolk in a cup or small bowl, just enough to break it up, and add it to the food processor a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Process in 10-second bursts until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead just to incorporate any dry ingredients that have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides. Don't be too heavy-handed; press the crust so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that it loses its crumbly texture. Freeze at least 30 minutes before baking.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit tightly against the crust, buttered-side down. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil carefully. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for another 8 minutes until firm and golden brown. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature. Remove from pan. Don't worry if there are any holes in the crust: Just call it "rustic." Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Up to an hour before serving, hull, rinse and halve the strawberries and taste. Toss with some sugar, if needed. If you like, add a bit of liqueur and black pepper.

To assemble and serve: Spread a generous layer of jam over the entire bottom of the crust, then cut into wedges. Put each wedge of crust on a plate, and spoon over the berries and their juices. Don't try to stay within the outline of the crust, just spoon the berries into the center and let them tumble over on either side. Serve immediately with creme fraiche or whipped cream

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorrie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY DISH

1 (750-milliliter) bottle light red or rose wine

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

2 pints strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

vanilla ice cream, for serving

Whisk together the wine and sugar in a bowl. Add the vanilla bean and strawberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Ladle into bowls and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Recipe from "How to Pick a Peach" by Russ Parsons (Houghton Mifflin, 2007)

STRAWBERRY SOUP

3 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1-1/2 cups chilled water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chilled dry white wine

In a blender or food processor, puree all of the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill thoroughly. Serve very cold, as a first course or a dessert.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe "River Run Cookbook" by Jimmy and Maya Kennedy and Marialisa Calta (HarperCollins, 2001)

STRAWBERRIES WITH SWEDISH CREAM

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Amaretto or Grand Marnier or other liqueur (optional)

sugar or honey, to taste

1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in the sour cream and liqueur (if using). Taste and add sweetener as needed. Serve with sliced berries.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman (Wiley Books, 1998)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.