A few years ago, the citizens of South County launched a
campaign and asked the specialty grocery store, Trader Joe’s, to
open a location in our area.
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two part series on items from Trader Joe’s and how they can be used on the grill.
A few years ago, the citizens of South County launched a campaign and asked the specialty grocery store, Trader Joe’s, to open a location in our area. It was successful and Trader Joe’s opened a South Valley location just before the end of last year. In this weeks and next week’s edition of Mixed Grill, I will share some unique items I discovered for the grill.
When I learned Trader Joe’s opened in Morgan Hill, I was thrilled. South Valley residence would not have to drive many miles to obtain some of their favorite items. Since the building was specifically built for Trader Joe’s, the layout is spacious and inviting. If you did not realized Trader Joe’s in our area, or have never been to one, it is worth a trip to explore their unique and special items.
When walking through the aisles, I keep my eyes alert to grilling possibilities. Fortunately, there are many great options for grilling at this store. From specialty meats to their own unique signature sauces and other ingredients, options are endless. The selection of organic and internationally influenced items, both of which Trader Joe’s is known for, are also found down every aisle.
I started in the refrigerator case section of the store. I knew there were quite a few vegetarian selections. Although many grocery stores stock meatless items now, one unique item I came upon was their Garlic Portobello Burgers. This looked interesting since the burger wasn’t just a plain tofu burger, but also contained the mushrooms, which will give them a great meaty texture and garlic, which will give the burger extra flavor. My stomach does not agree with tofu, but for those who enjoy a meatless lifestyle, it is another great option. Regular vegetarian burgers as well as hot dogs were available too. Both of these items would be great on the grill.
As I continued down the refrigerator section, I found the fresh sauces and dips. Two fresh pesto sauces, the traditional pesto and a sun-dried tomato were available. Both pesto sauces would be great to use on chicken. Just add a little salt and pepper to chicken and rub a little bit of the sauce into the meat. To make this chicken extra good, mix together a little bit of both sauces before adding it to the chicken. Chimichurri sauce started to gain popularity in the United States a few years ago. The sauce originates from Argentina and has some influence from Spain and Italy. Trader Joe’s offers a fresh version of the sauce, which makes a great marinate and finishing sauce for grilled steaks.
My tour of the refrigerator section concluded with the meats. This section includes a variety of fish, beef, and chicken. Some lamb and pork selections as well as kosher beef and chicken are also available. Although the meat section is smaller one at a large grocery store, Trader Joe’s features a variety of products that may not be found locally.
The fish section features some fish that has been seasoned and ready to cook. Their salmon burgers are flavored with fresh green onion, dill and a few other basic seasonings. Other fresh fish options include snapper, sea bass, mahi mahi and ahi. The plain fish is ready for you to add your own seasonings and flavors. All of the fish looked very fresh and delicious.
The refrigerated meat section also featured a variety of beef, which also include some marinated and ready to grill. Most of the packaging said that the beef was from the Angus breed of cattle. In keeping with much of the Trader Joe’s product line, natural organic beef in available. The most unique beef in this section was the grass feed beef. Most beef available at many grocery stores have been feed grains before they were processed for market. Grass feed beef continue to roam in their outdoor habitat and do not eat grain. This makes for a much different cut of beef than you may be use to. If you have not had the chance to try grass feed beef, it is worth it.
The fresh chicken at Trader Joe’s features a few marinated and ready to grill items too. Much of the chicken in this section is organic and free range, meaning that they were not raised in cages. Whole chickens and selected pieces are available. A few interesting styles of chicken sausage is available too.
Trader Joe’s also has a variety of unique sauces that I have not seen anywhere else. The store also has some great pantry items that can liven up the grill. Next week, I will conclude my Trader Joe’s grilling series where I will feature some sauces and pantry items. I will also feature cooking techniques for chicken and beef, using Trader Joe’s specialty sauces.
