Eat seasonally, eat well - for less

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 (2009 Ten Speed Press) 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" (2004 Countryman), which saves on calories and cost. The recipe, titled "The Essential EatingWell Pie Crust," can also be found at eatingwell.com.

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