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Braised Chicken with Lemon, Sage and Milk

Braised Chicken with Lemon, Sage and Milk

It’s pretty rare that I come across a recipe that I’ve never heard of, or at least some semblance of, before. So when I came upon a Facebook post from The Kitchn, stating that Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk is probably the best chicken recipe of 

Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri sauce is something I enjoy tremendously and is a great way to use some of your gorgeous summer herbs. I love it with grilled skirt or flank steak, which is how it’s traditionally served, but it’s also great with chicken and fish, Bonus? It 

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Northern Illinois had its first frost advisory last night and, even though we’re on a hill and don’t usually get affected too badly the first frost or two, there was definitely a light sprinkle of frost on our lawn this morning.

I cleaned out our tomato, squash and bean plants over the weekend, but the frost advisory forced me to go out and pick some of my herbs, which are usually the hardest hit. So, up came all my green and purple basil, tons of parsley, bunches of oregano and thyme, and definitely some rosemary.

I had a huge basket of beautiful, ripe Roma tomatoes sitting on my counter, so roasting them with herbs, olive oil and garlic was the way to go last night. These are great as bruschetta or tossed with hot pasta and are perfect for roasted tomato soup.  An added bonus is that they freeze really well (if they make it that far). Roasting tomatoes really intensifies their flavor, so you’ll find a lot of ways to enjoy them.

This doesn’t really involve a recipe as much as a technique, so don’t sweat exact amounts here. Also, you can do this with any type of tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, Roma’s just tend to be the meatiest. I had enough tomatoes for 2 large baking sheets full, and ended up with 1 heaping plate of roasted tomatoes.

oven roasted tomatoes recipe lola rugula

Oven Roasted Tomatoes with Olive Oil, Garlic and Herbs Recipe

Preheat oven to 325°

Line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper. Here’s what else you’ll need:

  • Tomatoes
  • Garlic, sliced
  • Fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, or chives
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • Olive oil

And here’s how to make them:

  • Wash tomatoes and slice off the very tops of them
  • Slice tomatoes in half and remove the seeds, trying hard to preserve as much as the tomato pulp as possible, tossing the prepared tomatoes on your lined baking sheet as you go
  • Once all of the tomatoes are prepped, toss on your garlic, spices and herbs. On this batch, I used fresh thyme, about 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, along with kosher salt and pepper.
  • Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. You don’t need much – I used about 1 tablespoon or less per baking sheet
  • With your hands, toss everything around to blend the olive oil and flavors. I rub the herbs, to crush them a bit and release their oils – this really helps with the overall flavor.
  • Arrange the tomatoes cut side down on baking sheet(s)
  • Roast in oven until skins are wrinkled and starting to caramelize around the edges (this batch took 1 hour and 15 minutes, but the cooking time will depend on your oven and the type of tomatoes you use)

That’s it! Super easy and delicious. Of course, these are also really great for you; loaded with lycopene and great for your heart.

oven roasted tomatoes recipe lola rugula

To freeze them, you can leave them whole or slice them, whichever you prefer. These are also great on homemade pizzas – I think you’ll find a lot of uses for them.

I’m not sure I’m ready for winter…I never am…but at least I’m saving my summer harvest, to bring back a bit of warm sunshine in the dead of winter.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Chunky Tomato Salsa Canning Recipe

Chunky Tomato Salsa Canning Recipe

This summer is like every summer; I’ve got my usual plethora of tomatoes and I love to make chunky canned salsa with some of them. We’ve been blessed with a continued spell of warm weather here in Northern Illinois, but this trend is bound to 

Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

Want an easy, healthy, delicious meal to throw together? Put vegetarian black bean burgers on your menu this week. They’re quick to come together, full of vitamins and fiber and trust me, they’re delicious. This time I put them on onion rolls, but choose whatever 

Homemade Grape Juice and Jelly

Homemade Grape Juice and Jelly

homemade grape jelly recipe lola rugula

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I was in jelly making mode a couple of weeks ago. Anyone who says that homemade grape jam or jelly is easy to make either A) has never actually had to harvest those grapes and then pick through all of them for just the beautiful, ripe ones or B) has actually done A, still thinks it’s easy and is just certifiably insane. If, however, someone has handed you or you have just purchased a bunch of beautiful, ripe concord grapes, this is pretty easy.

That being said, whether you have the fortitude (read: crazy) to start from harvest as I do, or have recently become the recipient of a ton of concord grapes, here’s how to make your own homemade grape juice and grape jelly. I’d  like to note: this is how to make grape juice and/or jelly without skinning the damned grapes beforehand.

Seriously.

Whoever is skinning all those grapes has either  A) has never actually had to harvest those grapes and then pick through all of them for just the beautiful, ripe ones or B) has done so and is certifiably insane, with a lot of free time on their hands at the asylum.

We only have 4 grape vines and I thank God for this. It took me over an hour to just to harvest all the grapes, thrashing through the grape vines and fighting off mosquitoes and such, in the early morning hours. Then it took me at least another hour to pick through my 6 bags of grapes to find only the healthiest and ripest ones. There’s over 2 hours of my life right there that I’ll never get back. My husband thinks I’m nuts. I just happen to really love homemade grape jelly. You decide. When all was picked and picked-through, I ended up with just over 20 pounds of grapes. Okay, maybe I’m a little nuts.

Let’s start with how to make homemade grape juice:

  • Fill a large stock pot about 1/2 way full with clean concord grapes. Using a potato masher, mash up the grapes a bit, to release their juice. Add some more grapes, if need be, and mash again. Don’t fill your pot more than 3/4 full, as it will just be cumbersome once you get to the “I have to drain these” point. Cover pan.
  • Turn on burner to medium and bring grapes to a boil
  • Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, mashing the grapes around every 10 minutes or so. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when mashing, to make sure there aren’t grapes sticking to the bottom of the pan.

You’ll start with a pretty clear juice in the pan but, as the grapes begin to simmer, pop and separate, you’ll see the juice start to darken and your kitchen will begin to smell like grape juice.

You are doing awesome! Reward yourself with a glass of red wine which is, poetically, also made from grapes.

Once 30 minutes is up, let the grapes cool for a bit and then strain the juice through a colander into another large pan or bowl. Discard grapes (I put ours in our compost pile). You’re now left with a murky, purple juice.

To achieve a beautiful, clear juice, I strain mine again through a fine-mesh colander. Then, using a cheesecloth-lined colander set atop a large pan, I strain it again overnight in the refrigerator. This takes a while, so just plan on letting it sit overnight. Pushing the juice through the cheesecloth won’t give you a clear juice, so just be patient and let it sit.

The next day, discard the sediment-filled cheesecloth and enjoy looking at your beautiful, homemade grape juice.

Congratulate yourself with a glass of wine.

If you’d like to make homemade grape jelly without pectin from your beautiful, homemade grape juice, here’s the recipe:

homemade grape jelly without pectin recipe lola rugula

Homemade Grape Jelly without Pectin Recipe

*Before beginning, place a small freezer-safe plate in the freezer. You’ll use this plate to test whether your jelly will set up or not.

Have canner filled with water, hot and ready to go, with jars, lids and bands sterilized.

Makes 6 half-pint jars

  • 6 cups grape juice
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cups sugar

Add grape juice and lemon juice to stockpot and heat to a simmer over medium heat. Add sugar, stirring well until completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce back to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Bring back to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Shut off heat, remove the plate from freezer and place a good tablespoon or two of jelly on the plate. Place back in the freezer for about 2 minutes.

Remove plate and test jelly. The jelly should have formed a bit of film on top. If you tip the plate sideways, the jelly should move slowly and appear gel-like, as opposed to runny. If jelly is still runny, wipe the plate and return it to the freezer. Bring jelly mixture back to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for another minute or two and repeat the freezer test until jelly sets.

Remove pan from heat and, using a ladle and jar filler, fill sterilized jelly jars to 1/4 inch below the rim. Place lids and bands in place and process in canner for 10 minutes.

Remove from canner and let sit until all lids have sealed and jelly has cooled. Allow 12-24 hours for jelly to completely set. If for some reason, jelly has not set, you can start over from the boiling jelly point or you can just say never mind and enjoy your grape juice.

Hopefully though, you’ve just made grape jelly! Have a glass of wine to celebrate.


homemade grape jelly recipe lola rugula

I’m hoping I didn’t miss any steps but feel free to let me know if I did. Sometimes, what seems clear to me is as clear as mud to someone else.

Next year, I’m finally going to try my hand at making homemade rhubarb preserves with the rhubarb plants my parents gave me.

Saving the Summer Harvest

Saving the Summer Harvest

Well, it’s Labor Day weekend and I hope everyone who celebrates it is enjoying it! Here in Northern Illinois, it’s a bit hazy but warm and we’re expecting some possible storms this afternoon. (I’m not going to lie – we could use some more rain!)