It's summer time, and what better time to enjoy a fruit pie or the triumph of culinary competition? We're doing both in The Takeaway's summer fruit pie smackdown.

Melissa Clark from the New York Times is ready to rumble with her sour cherry pie. And Deb Perelman of smittenkitchen.com brings her own strawberry rhubarb pie to the competition.

Serving as the judge is Emily Elsen, third-generation pie maker, featured chef on the Cooking Channel's Unique Eats, and owner (along with her sister Melissa Elsen) of Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop in Brooklyn, NY.  (recipes after the jump.)

There's an overabundance of strawberries across the country, and rock-bottom prices to match. Why? And what should we do with all of them?

Janet Keeler, food and travel editor of the St. Petersberg Times explains where all these strawberries came from, and shares recipes for making the most of them. And Lauren Der, 2009 Strawberry Queen of Plant City, Fla., shares stories from America's strawberry capitol.