What’s a girl to do when she’s got leftover berries? Pavlovas with mascarpone whip cream and balsamic-roasted strawberries. I don’t do simple.

Earlier this month, I went on my annual berry picking trip. I love the perfectly ripe, super-sweet berries but they don’t hold up as long as ones bought from a store. Some were a shriveled and bruised so I roasted them in a bit of honey and balsamic vinegar. I got the idea from David Lebovitz, who recently posted a recipe for Roasted Strawberry-Miso Ice Cream. Doesn’t that sound delish?

Voila, a Fourth of July flag tart!

When people learn that I’ve been to pastry school, they often ask “what do you like to make the most?” Nothing — is what I usually say. I’m inspired by what’s in season. (Talk about a snooze answer. Sorry, it’s the truth!) Recently though, I’ve been making a lot of tarts, so I’ve put together my tips for tart success, plus specific notes for the flag tart shown above.