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This dough gets its texture from a combination of butter and shortening.

Martha grows gooseberries, which inspired this pie, in her garden in Bedford, New York. Although their season is short (early summer), gooseberries are worth seeking out for their unique flavor. They can be very tart, so increase the sugar if you prefer your pie on the sweet side.

If you are fortunate enough to find wild blueberries while they are in season, by all means use them in this recipe; they are smaller than cultivated berries, so you may need an extra cup or two to make up the volume necessary for the pie.

We like this pie a little on the tart side; if you prefer a sweeter taste, increase the granulated sugar to 3/4 cup. To keep the dough from getting soggy, fill the pie shell just before you’re ready to cover with top crust.

The almond crumb crust is mixed by hand and doesn’t require any rolling, which makes this a great pie for beginning bakers.

This pie can be made with any berry or stone fruit, although we prefer sour cherries, peaches, or blueberries. If you can’t find fresh sour cherries, use two pounds of frozen pitted cherries instead; defrost and drain well before using.

This pie can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to three days. Applying a thin coating of melted chocolate to the baked pie shell before filling seals the crust and helps it stay crisp.

Almost every region in Italy has a variation of “grandmother’s cake,” but this one was created after tasting a version at an Italian restaurant in New York City. Durum wheat, included here, is most commonly used to make semolina for pasta. This pie is best eaten the same day it is baked.

Pasta frolla is commonly used in Italian pies and tarts. It can be frozen for up to one month; thaw before using.

This was inspired by a favorite ice cream, rum raisin. For the deepest flavor, use a dark rum, such as Myer’s; light rum just won’t taste the same.

To use fresh pumpkin, halve and place a 1 3/4-pound sugar pumpkin, cut sides down, in a baking pan. Roast in a 400°F oven until very soft, fifty to sixty minutes. Scoop out flesh and purée in a food processor until very smooth.

If you don’t have a cake ring, you can use a nine-inch springform pan instead; make sure the dough comes up 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the pan.

Look for rhubarb stalks of the same width to ensure even cooking. If necessary, you can cut differently sized stalks lengthwise to match. The crust, filling, and poached rhubarb can be made one day ahead. The baked crust can be kept, loosely covered, at room temperature; refrigerate the filling and the rhubarb (in the poaching liquid) separately. Strain the rhubarb and reduce liquid several hours before serving.

If fresh lavender is not available, you can use another fresh herb, such as rosemary or thyme. Half of a vanilla bean also works well.

You can also make this recipe in a fourteen-by-four-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll out the dough to a sixteen-by-six-inch rectangle before fitting it into the pan; bake with parchment and weights for fifteen minutes, then remove parchment and weights and bake for eight to nine minutes more.

This artfully composed tart looks like an elegant tapestry, with carefully placed fruit “roses” in a prebaked tart shell. While it is easy to make, it’s essential to use a very sharp knife in order to cut the nectarine slices precisely. You can make the tart shell one day ahead; keep at room temperature, loosely covered.

We love to serve a variety of shapes and sizes of tartlet shells filled with different flavors of fruit curd; feel free to mix and match flavors to your liking. Similarly, you may choose to top some with meringue while leaving others unadorned. The ones pictured at right are filled with Lemon and Passion Fruit curds. Grapefruit Curd and Lime Curd work equally well. These tartlets are especially appropriate for garden parties or bridal showers.

We’ve reinvented the classic Key lime pie as a tart made with a homemade graham cracker crust. Key limes are smaller, rounder, and have a yellower cast than regular limes; look for them in gourmet shops and some supermarkets. Otherwise, substitute regular limes; six limes should yield 1/2 cup juice.