Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake

Only time for a quick post today, so I'm going to link to the very thorough write-up over at Sally's Baking Addiction. This cake is fantastic, and it came together so quickly and so easily I was astonished at how well it turned out. It is also very photogenic! I served it after a casual dinner, but my spouse will tell you it makes a great breakfast.

One of these days I will have the equipment to make pretty blog posts, too, but for now I will content myself with keeping a record of great new things I've tried recently.

Farfalle with Chicken, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

Summer's end is approaching -- the days are shorter, even if they continue to be too warm, and every market Saturday I remind myself that this might be the last of _______ for the year. So far, the tomatoes are still with us, and given that it has been ridiculously warm, this Sunday was a great occasion for making this dish. Like many of my favorite recipes, I have this one on a page pulled out of Bon Appetit magazine a million years ago.

As do many people (going from the comments on the linked version), I don't often  make this exactly as written. I never have marjoram and don't particularly care for it; I use other greens if that's what I have, I don't fuss about the kind of vinegar I use or adding sugar (because good heavens, why). I look at this recipe as the opposite of fussy; it's a way to enjoy some wonderful fresh ingredients as something other than a salad but without messing around too much.  

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 8 ounces farfalle
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 6 heirloom tomatoes, cored, chopped (about 5 cups)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

 Preparation

1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions; sprinkle with salt and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook until onions are browned, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Transfer caramelized onions to bowl; reserve skillet.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
3. Add wine to reserved skillet. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 minutes. Add pasta, onions, broth, and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat to warm through, about 3 minutes.
4. Divide spinach among plates. Spoon pasta over spinach. Top with crumbled goat cheese. 

I hope you will make this (without fussing) and enjoy it, too.