If you want to make a citrus tart in, say, August, chances are the oranges are going to cost you a bit more (and be less flavorful and juicy) than when they were in season, back in January. Likewise, while fresh raspberries sold at the market in winter can require a home-equity loan, they are free in summer if you find a patch and pick them yourself, or at least affordable if you find a U-pick farm. The same is true of strawberries, blueberries and so on. Eating seasonally is a good way to watch your budget, and an excellent way to up the flavor ante at your table. And if you come into a bonanza of fresh, seasonal summer berries, remember that most freeze beautifully: Simply arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze, then transfer to an airtight container and keep for several months.

One of the best ways to showcase seasonal fruits is to plop them in a pie shell and bake them, with very little in the way of extra flavoring or fancy preparation. The recipes below — one from the delectable new “Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies” by Mollie Cox Bryan (Ten Speed Press, 2009) and the other from my files — instruct you to do just that.

One of the most challenging parts of baking a pie is making the crust. Store-bought, prepared crusts are timesavers, but many have trans-fats or unwanted preservatives. All-butter crusts, found in high-end markets, can cost a bit. If you want to make your own, I recommend the recipe from “The Essential EatingWell Cookbook” (Countryman, 2004), which saves on calories and cost. The recipe, titled “The Essential EatingWell Pie Crust,” can also be found on the magazine’s Web site at www.eatingwell.com.

BLACKBERRY PIE

3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch

1 cup sugar

4-1/2 cups blackberries

1 9-inch piecrust, pre-baked

unsweetened whipped cream, for topping

Whisk the starch and sugar together, and set aside. Put 1 cup of the berries in a small saucepan, and mash them with a fork. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until the berries begin to break down and release their juice. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the berries, and cook and stir until thick and bubbling and the sugar is dissolved, about 7 minutes. The mixture should coat a spoon and a line drawn along the spoon will stay clear. Cool until lukewarm.

Spread the remaining berries in the crust, then pour the cooked mixture over the fresh berries and gently stir until distributed evenly.

Chill for 3 to 4 hours until the filling is set. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

Yield: one 9-inch pie

Recipe from “Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies” by Mollie Cox Bryan (Ten Speed Press, 2009)

FREE-FORM SUMMER FRUIT TART

4 cups rinsed, hulled or pitted (when necessary), sliced summer fruit (such a strawberries or peaches) or whole, small berries such as blueberries or raspberries, or a combination

2 tablespoons orange juice

granulated sugar, to taste

unbaked pastry for a one-crust, 9- to 11-inch pie

cornmeal

6 tablespoons jam or preserves (to match or complement the fruits you choose)

1/4 cup red-currant jelly

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Center a rack in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 F.   

Put fruit in a bowl, and sprinkle with orange juice and sugar, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll out pie dough to form a 10- to 11-inch circle. (It does not have to be perfect). Lightly sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet, and transfer the dough to the sheet.

Spoon a thin layer of jam over the dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border of plain dough around the edges, as if you were spooning sauce onto a pizza. You can match the jam with the fruit — peach jam with a peach pie, for example — or choose a complementary flavor. A superb combination is peach preserves and fresh blueberries.

Spoon the fruit over the jam.

In a small saucepan, heat the red-currant jelly until it is liquid. Using a pastry brush, brush the jelly over the fruit to form a glaze. Dot with small pieces of butter (optional).

Turn up the border of the dough around the fruit, pleating the sides at intervals to make a container. (Think of the clay ashtray you made in grade school.) Brush the exposed dough border with milk.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F. Bake 45 to 50 minutes longer, or until fruit is bubbling and crust is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings