Juicy Berries Meet Buttery Pastry

I've lived in berry country my entire life, and there's nothing I love more than juicy, in-season berries. Well, all right, maybe there is one thing—and that's rich, buttery pastries made with in-season berries.

When I was a child in northern California, luscious berry desserts were always served at the end of summer meal. Now that I'm the one in charge of dessert, I find myself turning to a few choice recipes time and again. Conveniently, they all begin with the same delicious crust. It's my absolute favorite pastry recipe: It has the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of a shortbread cookie, and it has also proven to be exceptionally versatile. With slight adaptations, you can use the dough to make individual mixed-berry tarts, little raspberry turnovers, or a scrumptious pie filled with a jumble of sweet berries. All you need to make these recipes sing is ripe, juicy berries (locally grown, if possible).

Truly flavorful berries are a singular summer pleasure

In summer, I like to pick my own berries. I'm lucky: In the Northwest, we have lots of "pick-your-own" farms. Check around in your area; you might have them too. Farmers' markets are also a great source for fresh-picked berries. But if supermarket berries are all you can find, don't worry—you can still use these recipes and still get fabulous results.

How to handle fresh berries: When buying berries, avoid baskets with berry stains, which indicate overripe fruit. Look for unblemished strawberries with shiny red flesh and fresh green caps; blueberries should practically burst with plumpness; and raspberries and blackberries should be stemless, without any dry, brown spots. (Stems indicate that the berries were picked unripe, and they'll never get any sweeter off the bush.)

When you bring berries home, spread them out unwashed on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and store in the refrigerator. The paper towels absorb moisture and help prevent molding. It's best not to rinse berries until just before using.

Stock up on in-season berries now and freeze some for later

In berry season, I always find myself with more berries than I can possibly use at the moment. Luckily, berries freeze well. In the off-season, there's nothing like having a stash of frozen berries. And fragile berries like raspberries work better when added frozen to cake or muffin batters because freezing firms up their flesh and prevents their juices from bleeding.

How to freeze berries: Pour them into a colander and spray with cold water. Give them a gently shake and transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Thoroughly pat dry with another paper towel. You can transfer blueberries right into zip-top freezer bags and pop them into the freezer. But freeze strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries on the baking sheet before transferring them to freeezer bags, so they don't stick together. Freeze in 1- to 4-cup batches and label the bags with the fruit name, amount, and date.