Flipping through an America’s Test Kitchen magazine, I discovered a recipe for strawberry pie. It was beautiful and summery, and it required no oven time — perfect for the hot weekend. It seemed like a lovely treat for Labor Day weekend. It was also a clear acknowledgment that we were still very much in summer.

My son loves strawberries, so I showed him the picture of the pie. He shrugged. “How about we make an apple pie instead?” he asked.