Makes 8 to 10 servings.

This tart consists of a simple but tender press-in crumb crust baked with a filling of fresh raspberries. Because raspberries tend to have a sharp flavor when they are warm, I prefer to chill the tart and serve wedges with a topping of fresh raspberries and whipped cream.

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons milk

Filling

2 pints fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping

1 pint fresh raspberries, washed
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork until the mixture resembles large-curd cottage cheese. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of an 11-inch round tart pan with removable bottom.

In a bowl, toss the raspberries with the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch until the raspberries are evenly coated. Turn into the pastry-lined pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is light brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack, then chill.

Before serving, remove the sides of the tart pan and place the tart on a serving plate. Top with the fresh raspberries and dust with 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar. In a bowl, whip the cream until stiff and mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and pipe onto the top of the tart, or serve dollops of the cream with wedges of the tart.

Summer fruits are the "soft" fruits: berries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries. Most of these fruits can be substituted for one another in such preparations as pies, tarts, upside-down cakes, shortcakes, cobblers, crisps, and crumbles. They can be used alone or in combination.