ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
261
All of those links sound great. Some of them are quite similar to a Syrian spread with crushed fried eggplant, raw garlic, whole milk yogurt, and plenty of salt. I learned the recipe from Frizzle back on Chowhound. Similar to baba ghanoush minus the tahini.
Here’s her recipe in her own words:
"A family dish with syrian origins was on the menu tonight, making the most of wonderful Aubergine available at present. It’s really a mezze but for a night solo dining it’s perfect as a meal. I don’t have a name for it other than Aubergine and yoghurt.
You slice the Aubergine quite thinly - less than half a cm and fry the slices in olive oil until they are good and golden brown. You add the fried slices to yoghurt that has been seasoned with salt, pepper and raw crushed garlic and stir it all up. To serve you tear some pita in half or quarters (depending on the size of the bread) and spoon the yoghurt Aubergine mix in. It’s an eat with your hands type of dish and can be a bit messy."
I have roasted the eggplant with good results.
1 Like
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
262
That’s a really good price. Closest I have found are the “Spanish brown tomatoes” occasionally available at Aldi, but they are not as flavorful. And of course kumatoes at Harris Teeter and the like, for more $ than TJ’s.
That’s odd. There were quite a few varieties in my local one, in addition to the kumatos. And the produce market today was full of early season heirloom tomatoes from Mexico. I wish I could stock up before the tariffs hit.
Okay, so I went Thursday and got Sri Lankan Curry and Rice with Cashews, Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Calabrian Chili Pasta Sauce, a tin of anchovies, and a pouch of Kitchari. They didn’t have tinned mackerel, I don’t like baked beans, and I’m fully stocked on spices and nuts right now.
Count me in the group who doesn’t like the “per-item” produce pricing at TJ’s. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare prices with other stores. But since the buzz seems to be that the produce has other issues (like going bad faster), it’s not a big deal.
I suppose one could carry a scale and weigh the produce and do the math, but seriously, even I am not that obsessive. Well, I did bring a scale once to Texas Roadhouse, because Mark and I didn’t agree on how much the “6-ounce sirloin” weighed after it was cooked. No, I don’t remember the result.
The produce in Somerville, MA, very near Boston is often fine or at least adequate. Our store at Assembly Row has high turnover. If I buy cilantro, Italian parsley, green onions, for example, that come in sealed plastic bags and I know I’m going to use them soon, I open the bags before refrigerating to reduce rot/modl.
I do find it difficult when I’m trying to get a certain weight of a produce item. I’m experienced enough to wing and it usually turns out OK. Because I’m looking for a certain weight of an item specified for a specific recipe. Not as much for price comparison because if I’m in Trader Joes buying produce, it’s because I need it for a recipe same or next day.
We thought the garlic gondolas were dreadful. The only flavor was artificial. Threw them out.
I adore the tartness of the Calamansi & Mango Sorbet, and like the Calamansi dominance. I also like the Passion Fruit Meringue Tartelettes well enough. I take off about half of the overly sweet meringue.
I hope you enjoy (enjoyed) your TJ finds. I only go for their produce when I know I need that item within the next day or two. I work a block away from them, so it’s convenient to stop by and grab a pepper, a tomato or onion for a dish I had planned to make. My experience with their produce has been mixed too, with some items starting to go very quickly, to some have lasted surprisingly fast! If their produce lasted as long as their flowers last, we’d be all good.
