Summer Rain and a Summer Dish

I picked the following poem Summer Rain by Henry David Thoreau for two reasons. One tomorrow we celebrate his birth date July 12th and currently our area is being drenched in a relentless rain storm. As a matter of fact we have had 7 inches in 48 hours!! Looking into ark rentals.

This one might just a bit large for our lake but does look sturdy. In 15 years we have never seen the lake so high.

The Summer Rain - by Henry David Thoreau

My books I'd fain cast off, I cannot read,
'Twixt every page my thoughts go stray at large
Down in the meadow, where is richer feed,
And will not mind to hit their proper targe.

Plutarch was good, and so was Homer too,
Our Shakespeare's life were rich to live again,
What Plutarch read, that was not good nor true,
Nor Shakespeare's books, unless his books were men.

Here while I lie beneath this walnut bough,
What care I for the Greeks or for Troy town,
If juster battles are enacted now
Between the ants upon this hummock's crown?

Bid Homer wait till I the issue learn,
If red or black the gods will favor most,
Or yonder Ajax will the phalanx turn,
Struggling to heave some rock against the host.

Tell Shakespeare to attend some leisure hour,
For now I've business with this drop of dew,
And see you not, the clouds prepare a shower--
I'll meet him shortly when the sky is blue.

This bed of herd's grass and wild oats was spread
Last year with nicer skill than monarchs use.
A clover tuft is pillow for my head,
And violets quite overtop my shoes.

And now the cordial clouds have shut all in,
And gently swells the wind to say all's well;
The scattered drops are falling fast and thin,
Some in the pool, some in the flower-bell.

I am well drenched upon my bed of oats;
But see that globe come rolling down its stem,
Now like a lonely planet there it floats,
And now it sinks into my garment's hem.

Drip drip the trees for all the country round,
And richness rare distills from every bough;
The wind alone it is makes every sound,
Shaking down crystals on the leaves below.

For shame the sun will never show himself,
Who could not with his beams e'er melt me so;
My dripping locks--they would become an elf,
Who in a beaded coat does gayly go.

My Motto

Strawberry Crumble Pie a.k.a. Mixed Berry Crumble 

Cook's notes: I had every intention of making Food Network's July/August recipe Strawberry Crumble but discovered I was a wee bit short on the needed strawberries. But the good news is I still had some other fruits to combine with the strawberries. So I reinvented the recipe and loved the results. 
The ingredients and directions have been reformated from the original recipe to make it easier to follow. 
Ingredients:

• one pre-made or homemade single pie crust

Filling Ingredients:

•  5 cups diced mixed berries (I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. instant tapioca 
• 1 TB. lime juice
• pinch of kosher salt
• optional 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

Filling Directions:

• Combine sugars, tapioca, lime juice and salt.
• Gently fold in fruits with a spatula and stir only until sugar and tapioca are mixed.
• Set aside.

Topping Ingredients;

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar  
• 1/4 tsp. each kosher salt, allspice and ginger
• 4 TB. cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 tsp. regular cinnamon

Topping Directions:  

• Combine all topping ingredients except butter in a bowl or a food processor.
• Use your fingers to work the butter into the oat mixture until clumpy. If using a food processor pulse twice.   

Pie Directions:   

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface and fit into a standard 9 inch pie pan. 
• Flute pie crust edges. Form strips of foil around outside edge of pie pan to prevent over browning.
• Place pie crust in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. 
• Use a slotted spoon and place mixed fruits into pie pan leaving some juices behind in the bowl.
• Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is browned and juices are bubbling.
• Place pie pan on a wire cooling rack. Cool until filling is set about 2 hours.