Trader Joe's Wine Deals

For the last number of months I've been making a concerted effort to increase my wine knowledge. I've enjoyed wine for many years and I have been getting some very high quality wines from Sonoma County and the Livermore Valley via the "more than one" wine clubs we belong to. We also get wines from a San Francisco wine negociant who sells his wine online under two different names. 

As a part of my recent wine education, I read Aldo Sohm's Wine Simple, which is a book that I would highly recommend if you want to learn more about wine making and the various varietals there are around the world. Living in California, it's easy to just drink great California wines. You really don't need to venture any further since there is so much great wine right here. But this book really pushed me to  expand my wine knowledge and explore other countries and varietals. I've been exploring French Bordeaux wines and new varietals such as Nero D'Avolo, Nebbiolo, and Barolo. 

But at the same time as I've been exploring wines that might be considered at more of the top end, I've found a few websites that unearth some great, inexpensive wines that I've also been tasting and enjoying. 

If you are lucky enough to live close to a Trader Joe's, then you have a great source of good, inexpensive wine. Think good quality weeknight wines that won't break the bank. 

Here are a few inexpensive wines from Trader Joe's that I've tried recently:

Epicuro Primitivo 

This wine was $5.99. Primitivo thrives in California where it's known as Zinfandel. The varietal is originally from Croatia. This Italian wine is lighter than the over-the-top California fruit bombs Zins, but it had a nice nose. It is dark fruit forward with a nice finish that was slightly peppery. Perfect for a rainy, cold November weeknight pasta dinner. I would get this wine again in the future for weeknight meals. If you don't believe me, check out this review.

Epicuro Nero D'Avalo

This was $4.99. Nero D'Avalo is the name of the grape grown in the Sicilian region of Italy. Unlike Primitivo/Zinfandel, this varietal is pretty unknown here but there are a small number of California winemakers experimenting with it. Despite the dark garnet color ("nero" means black in Italian), the wine is pretty smooth with lot of dark cherry fruit up front. Then it briefly turns a bit bitter like a prune. But the medium tannins on the finish clear it all out. This was very drinkable but not my favorite. But if you're curious to try wine from a grape you've never heard of this is an affordable adventure. I think this would go well with that weeknight pizza you either made or brought home.  

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

This wine was $13.99. It's a Grenache-based, Southern Rhone blend. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the name of the large appellation that produces almost as much wine as the Bordeaux region. The main grapes that are grown in the appellation are Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. This TJ's steal is 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mouvedre, and 10% Cinsault. This wine easily competes with $40 bottles of similar wine. It is a very approachable and friendly wine with lots of red fruit flavors and a touch of leather and herbs. It opens up with time after you have bottle open. I would suggest decanting or at least uncorking for an hour before serving. I will definitely be picking this one up again. 

Pontificis GSM Red Blend

This wine was $6.99. This wine is from the large Languedoc-Roussillon region in Southern France. GSM is shorthand for the red blend that uses Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre grapes. These Grenache-based blends are common in Southern France (including the wine above). This wine is 40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 25% Mourvedre. The Grenache is the lightest in color but it adds a lot of fruit flavor. Syrah provides the ruby red color and the darker fruit flavors like plum and blueberry. Mourvedre is similar to Syrah but it adds some tannins and counterpoints to the Syrah. Each winemaker can experiment with the blends to try to get the wine they want. This was a very enjoyable wine. Good fruit flavors and very pleasant to drink. Another wine I will be picking up again for a weeknight dinner. 

Those are just a few of my recent tastings. I will continue to post more. Let me know if you have an TJ favorites. 

Here are some links you can also explore:

https://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/trader-joes/

http://thefermentedfruit.com/guide-to-trader-joes-wine-prices-top-selections/

https://thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/store-hacks/trader-joes-wine

https://vinopointer.com/our-lucky-13-most-recent-reviews-of-wines-from-trader-joes/

Making Passion Fruit Juice

A friend recently asked me if I'd like some passion fruit. "Sure," I said but then I thought to myself,  "Now what?" I knew she had passion fruit growing over a trellis in their backyard. But that's about all I know about passion fruit (except that it's the P in POG--that delicious tropical juice they serve on Hawaiian Airlines). 

She dropped off eleven of them and said to wait until they got a little wrinkly--like a raisin--which took about a week. So that gave me some time to do some internet research. After my research, I decided to make passion fruit juice which was so refreshing and delicious. 

But first, depending on where you live you may not have ever seen a passion fruit. They are usually not carried by most supermarkets. In my online research, I learned that if you don't have a friend with a passion fruit plant you can actually buy passion fruit on Etsy (I haven't tried it...yet). But you can look at the photos to get an idea of what they look like outside and in. Everything on the inside is edible but the skin is not. The seeds are edible and high in fiber. 

The fruit is considered a tropical fruit and it seems to have originated in the southern countries of South America but it now grows in many locations across the globe. It goes by many names around the world. The moment I cut into my first passion fruit I could smell the tropical aromas. I thought to myself, "This SMELLS like Hawaii."

Now, to turn that juice into pulp into juice you need some additional ingredients:

Water: The juice is naturally on the thick side so water helps to dilute the juice. 

Sweetener: Sugar is most obvious choice. But depending on your personal health plan you could go for honey, simple syrup, or any of the non-sugar sweeteners that are out there. What's nice here is that you are in control of the sweetness. 

Optional additional flavorings: Some of things that people like to add to their passion fruit juice are: mint leaves, lime juice, and Angostura bitters.

Passion Fruit Juice

Here's how I made my first batch of passion fruit juice:

Wait - Until the fruit is wrinkly. As it gets wrinkly, the fruit gets heavier with pulp.

Cut - Crosswise near the top so you don't lose as much pulp. I cut the fruit crosswise near the top. That gives you a nice cup of skin and you can scoop out the bulk of the pulp with a spoon. If there's any pulp in the top part you can scoop that out too. Eleven fruit gave me 1 1/2 cups of pulp.

Pulse - Put the pulp into a blender or food processor and give it a couple of pulses. You want to break things up but you don't want to break up the seeds too much. 

Strain - Put the pulsed pulp through a fine mesh sieve. Use the back of spoon to get more juice out. Let it sit for a bit before you discard the seed pulp.

Water - I added 2 cups of water.

Sweetener - I added 1/2 cup simple syrup.

The results were delicious and healthy. I had a glass of the juice after returning home from a long hike and it was so refreshing. You can keep the juice in the fridge for a week or two, at the most. But as it sits it will separate. Don't worry, just stir it up with a wooden spoon and you're good to go. 

Now I must confess that once I had this tropical juice, I was reminded of the excellent tropical martinis we had in Puerto Rico with another couple (pre-hurricanes) that consisted of chili-spiced vodka and tropical fruit juice. We had them over for dinner shortly after I made this first batch of passion fruit juice so I made us the martini using passion fruit juice instead of guava juice. It was delicious and it took us back to those days in Puerto Rico. 

Oven Roasted Romanesco

Perhaps you have seen Romanesco before. That strange fractal looking vegetable. 

I think it's a cool looking vegetable, but I can imagine that it may be intimidating to some. One may look at it and assume if it looks strange it must taste strange. Well, that Romanesco is related to both broccoli and cauliflower. They are all part of the Brassica family. 

What does it taste like it? Taste can be subjective, but, to me, Romanesco tastes more like broccoli than cauliflower. But it's somewhat of a blend of both. It's structure is more like a cauliflower. But I think the flavor leans more toward broccoli. While the taste may be similar, the texture is not like broccoli. 

But don't let the alien shape put you off. Romanesco is a tasty vegetable. This is a great and approachable side dish for whatever your main is. Give it a try!

Oven Roasted Romanesco

Ingredients:

• Romanesco - 1 head, cut into large chunks
• Olive oil
• Panko bread crumbs - 3-4 tablespoons
• Flaky sea salt (Maldon) - about 2 pinches
• Black pepper - to taste
• Red pepper flakes - to taste
• Butter - 1 Tbsp.
• Parmesan cheese - 1-2 Tbsp. finely shredded
• Herb or herb mixture - 1/2 tsp. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse Romanesco and cut or break florets into a large bowl.
3. Drizzle generously with olive oil and stir to mix.
4. Transfer to a sheet pan (keeping some space between each floret) and season with black pepper and flaky salt.
   
5. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it as ovens vary.
6. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the breadcrumbs. Stir frequently until bread crumbs are toasty brown (it will take just a few minutes).
7. Remove the pan from heat and let cool.
8. Shred the Parmesan cheese.
9. Add the herb mixture and red pepper flakes to the bread crumbs. 
10. Plate the roasted Romanesco and generously sprinkle the panko-cheese mixture over the top (you will likely have left over bread crumbs). 
11. Plate the roasted Romanesco and generously sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture (you will likely have leftovers).

 

 We were first introduced to quinoa while on a hiking trip in Peru back in 2002. Our guide would pack all of the ingredients and when we stopped for lunch, he'd throw all of the ingredients into a bowl and prepare the hiking group with a salad similar to this one. It was a nice, light lunch salad that we'd enjoy along with some cheese and bread and other local snack foods. Quinoa was available in the US, but it was still relatively new at the time. 

This salad is pretty easy to make but it will still be a crowd pleaser. It's light and healthy yet the quinoa and roasted garbanzo beans give it some satisfying toothiness. It's a good dish to bring to a pot luck. Also perfect for a picnic or concert food. It's a ready-made side salad for weeknight meals. You can also use it as a base for your main protein (I think this would make a nice base for cooked fish or shrimp). You could also make this on a Sunday and then you've got your work week lunch pretty much done. 

Most of the quinoa you find in the store is plain light brown in color. That's called white quinoa. That will work for this recipe but there is also black and red quinoa. Using the red or a mix of all three gives this salad creates a lot visual interest and makes it more colorful. 

You can think of this recipe as a starting point. There are many ingredients that could be used instead of or in addition to. You can create your own personal favorite. Scallions, edamame, chopped olives, pimentos, roasted red bell pepper, and much more could be used. 

Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients:

• Quinoa - 1 cup uncooked, tri-colored preferred
• Water - 2 cups
• Lemon juice - 1/4 cup (about 1 large lemon)
• Olive oil - 1/4 cup
• Red wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves, minced
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Black pepper - freshly ground to taste
• Garbanzo beans - 1 15 oz. can, drained
• Cucumber - 1 medium, seeded
• Red onion - 1 medium
• Red bell pepper - 1 medium
• Parsley - finely chopped leaves, about 1 cup
• Feta - crumbles, about 1 cup
• Finishing salt - to taste (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Drain garbanzo beans in a colander. When drained place on some double thick paper towels. Cover to the top with paper towels. Gently roll beans around to get as dry as possible.
• In a bowl, add lemon juice, oil, salt, red wine vinegar, and minced garlic. Add in fresh black pepper to taste. Whisk the dressing to mix and set aside.
• Add beans to a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (you can add any other herb or herb mix as well). Stir to mix. 
• 
  Line a cookie sheet or sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour the beans onto the paper and spread  to a single layer. Place in the oven for 11 minutes. At 11 minutes, take beans out and with a spoon, move the beans around. Return to the oven for another 11 minutes. 
• Finely chop red onion and place in a large bowl.
  
• Seed and chop cucumber into small bite-sized chunks and add to bowl.
• Seed and chop red bell pepper into small bite-sized chunks and add to bowl.
• Finely chop the parsley leaves and add to the bowl.
• Rinse the quinoa in a colander and let it drain for a bit. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and, with high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat once boiling but maintain a gentle boil. Keep reducing the as the quinoa absorbs the water. Once all of the water is absorbed, about 7-10  minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Remove cover and let quinoa cool.
• 
• Add the feta crumbles.
• Once the quinoa is cool, add it to the large bowl and begin gently mixing all of the ingredients together. Add half of the dressing and mix well. Add the rest of the dressing and continue to mix. Let the salad rest for 10 minutes before serving. 
• Once plated, add a few pinches of finishing salt (Maldon or other fine salt flakes).
• Serves about 4 dinner-sized portions or 8 smaller side salads. It will last in the fridge for about four days.
• Pairs well with a Roreo Arneis bottle of wine.
  
  
  

Crispy Sheet Pan Meatballs with Salsa Verde Sauce

 If you're a vegetarian, imagine the surprise on people's faces when you serve flavorful meatballs as an appetizer at your next event. You can do exactly that thanks to the availability of plant-based ground meat. Maybe you think that's unlikely because you've had "veggie" meat products in the past and not been impressed. Well that's understandable, because the tempeh or tofu meat substitutes of past were a far cry from the real thing. But the latest wave of plant-based meat is engineered to closely replicate the taste and texture of meat. As you will see, some meat eaters can't tell the difference. 

Welcome to the expanding world of plant-based meat. The two big companies are Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods but others are also trying to break into the market. We've tried both and prefer the flavor and texture of Beyond--but that's our personal preference. 

At a dinner party a few years ago, I was tasked with bringing an appetizer. During some internet searching, I discovered this Bon Appetit web site (lots of great ideas to explore) and decided to try the meatball recipe and it was a hit (I used beef). Since then, I've made it more than once and it's always well-received. The flavorful salsa verde sauce is the secret magic. This is a versatile sauce that can be used for a variety of purposes. I have topped roasted salmon fillets with it. Drizzle it over rice or a grain side. You will likely have some leftover sauce so keep it.

Meanwhile the plant-based meat market has been spreading and evolving. At first, the two big companies started with burgers. These are now available in most supermarkets. But breakfast sausage and dinner sausages soon followed. Beyond Meat recently teamed up with KFC to offer Beyond Chicken on their menu. More recently, ground meat was an option and it's available in convenient one-pound packages.  

Once the ground meat came on the market, I thought of the meatball recipe that I had made before and wondered how it would taste with plant-based ground beef. So I did a test run and was very happy with it. Then I made two batches--one beef and one Beyond beef--and served them both (on separate plates) to a dozen meat-eating friends. I said that they were the same recipe but one had a variation. They wanted to know what the variation was but I told them I wanted them to identify their favorite first. Most said they both were equally good but some said they preferred the Beyond version. Then I told them the difference between to the two plates of meatballs. 

So it doesn't matter if you eat meat or not, these are tasty meatballs that you can serve to your friends and family. This works with beef or plant-based ground beef. Your choice. 

Crispy Sheet Pan Meatballs with Salsa Verde Sauce

Ingredients:

• Garlic - 4 cloves peeled, divided
• Parsley leaves - 2 cups packed (you can also add in basil, cilantro, or dill)
• Capers - 3 tbsp., drained
• Pistachios - 1/4 cup (walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts can also be used)
• Egg - 1 large
• Paprika - 1 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp.
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup, divided
• Panko bread crumbs - 1 cup
• Plant-based ground meat - 1 lb.
• Lemon - 1
• Black pepper - to taste 

Instructions:

1. If the ground meat is frozen, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Get out one large bowl (for the meatball mixture) and one medium bowl (for the salsa verde). Mince two cloves garlic into each bowl.
4. Finely chop the parsley and place half into each bowl. 
5. Finely chop the capers and place two thirds into the large bowl and the remaining one third into the small bowl.
6. Place the pistachios in a seal-able sandwich bag. Seal it getting out as much air as possible. Lay it flat on a cutting board and use the handle end of a large knife the break up the nuts into smaller chunks. Pour them out on the cutting board and continue to chop if needed. Add the chopped nuts to the large bowl.
7. To the large bowl, add salt, paprika, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and crack open the egg on the mixture. Whisk to mix ingredients. 
8. Add panko bread crumbs to the large bowl and mix it in.
9. Wash your hands and add the ground meat to the large bowl. With your hands, gently mix together the ingredients until incorporated.
10. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Drizzle about 2 tbsp. on the pan and use a brush or your finger to spread the oil around the pan.
11. Roll mixture into golf ball-sized balls and place on sheet pan about one inch from each other. You want 20-24 meatballs.
12. Place in the oven and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and roll balls over. Return to oven and cook another 6-7 minutes.
    
    
    
13. As the meat cooks, finish preparing the salsa verde. Zest the lemon and add it to the small bowl. Halve the zested lemon, juice both halves, and add it to the bowl. Add 1/2 cup olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix.
    
    
14. 
    Transfer the meatballs to your serving dish/platter. Spoon the salsa verde sauce over the meatballs. Put the remaining sauce in a small bowl and put it out with the meatballs so people can add more. 
    
    

Farro Grain Bowls

 We have been getting more and more into grain bowls. We have to give credit to Blue Apron for this. They started putting grain bowls in rotation over the last number of months and we've been getting into them (we are occasional users of Blue Apron). I'm at the point now where I have the basics down and I make a grain bowl on my own about once a week for dinner (and there are often some leftovers for lunch the next day). Here's what I've learned...

Farro - At the heart of a grain bowl is, obviously, a grain. Farro is the grain of choice these days for me (although brown rice, quinoa, and others could work). Farro is a very hearty and filling grain that satisfies your hunger. It contains more fiber than most of the other popular grains and it contains lots of protein and antioxidants. I knew about farro but shied away from it because I didn't know how to prepare it. I figured that it must be like wild rice and take an hour to cook (not a good work night dinner option). But I have since learned that is not the case. All you need is 20 minutes once you've got a pot of boiling water. 

So get yourself a bag of pearled farro. I'm currently working through a bag of pearled farro from Food to Live that I got on Amazon. Bob's Red Mill has a farro (not pearled or semi-pearled so it takes 30 minutes to cook). To prepare farro (for 2 people), you only need 1/2 cup. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the farro. Let it boil for 20 minutes and then drain into a colander. Set the farro aside. Done!

What else goes in a grain bowl?

Vegetables - The next most important ingredients in the grain bowl are the vegetables. Grain bowls are a great way to use up leftover veggies from the fridge. But these are my "usuals" these days (Again, for 2 people):

• Radishes - about 4 - cut in half and then sliced into half moons (Optional: soak radish slices in some vinegar that just barely covers them for 10 mins. to a few hours. Drain vinegar before adding to bowl).
• Carrots - 1 to 2 - peeled and cut in half and then sliced into half moons.
• Scallions - 4 - 6 - chopped.
• Celery - 1 to 2 stalks - cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Other options:

• Zucchini - about 1/2 - thinly sliced and browned in a pan with a bit of olive oil
• Butternut squash - small dice roasted in the oven for 20 minutes
• Broccoli or cauliflower - about 1/4 to 1/2 head - cut into florets and browned in a broiler with some olive oil.
• Spinach or other greens
• Cucumbers - Persian or regular

Fruit - Fruit adds some softness and sweetness to counteract the hearty grain. Raisins are an obvious choice but my better half is not a raisin fan. But we've discovered that currants are an acceptable alternative. 

• Currants - about 1/4 cup (Raisins are an option, too)
• Fuyu persimmons - 1 large or 2 small - peeled and diced
• Pears - when in season - cored, sliced, and diced (same with apples)
• Just use whatever fruit is in season.

Cheese

• Feta - about 1 and 1/2 oz. - I go with a small handful crumbled per person - Feta is our #1 choice due to its creaminess and saltiness. 
• Goat cheese - very creamy and satisfying.

Nuts

• Sunflower seeds - about a handful
• Pistachios, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts - roughly crumbled

Binder

• Creamy dressing - We like the Goddess dressing from Trader Joe's. We also make our own Green Goddess dressing from Penzey's.
• See below for other ideas on a binder. 

Toppers

• Soft cooked eggs

Bottom line: Just Google Farro grain bowls and you will see lots of options. Create a menu that works for you and adjust accordingly. See below for more ideas. 

Here was the last version I made (no two versions are the same--use up leftover veggies and fruit to create different combos.

Ingredients:

• Pearled farro - 1/2 cup
  
• Radishes - about 4 sliced and soaked in vinegar for at least 10 minutes (optional)
• Celery - 1 large stalk, halved lengthwise and chopped
• Scallions - 4-6, chopped
• Fuyu persimmon - 2, peeled and diced
• Feta - about 2 oz. crumbled
• Sunflower seeds - 2 handfuls
• Eggs - 2
• Goddess Dressing - 4 tablespoons

Directions:

• Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. 
• Once boiling, add the eggs and cook for 6-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and transfer them to a bowl with ice and water. 
• Halve the radishes and slice half moons and place in a prep bowl with some vinegar.
• Rinse the farro and add it to the same pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Drain the farro into a colander then transfer back to the pot and set aside (off the residual heat). 
• As the farro is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Peel and slice the carrot.
• Chop the celery and scallions.
• Peel and dice the persimmons. 
• Peel the eggs. 
• Drain the farro into a colander and return it to the pot with the heat off.
• Add some olive oil to the farro in the pot. Add the carrots and celery and stir to mix. Add remaining prepped vegetables and fruit and stir to mix.
• Add sunflower seeds and crumbled feta and stir to mix.
• Divide between two bowls or plates and top with Goddess dressing and 1 halved egg to each bowl. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. 

Here are a few other websites with other ideas and approaches:

Feel Good Foodie's Farro Grain Bowls - The compartmentalizing makes for a nice presentation.

Running on Real Food's Mediterranean Farro Salad - A different twist (Tahini as the binder!).

Southwestern Farro Bowl - A  Southwestern take (another interesting dressing recipe).

Trader Joe's Farro Grain Bowl Recipe - If you're lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's here's a simplified version (Binder is tahini and pesto).

Herbed Farro Salad with Pomegranate and Feta - A simpler version but uses pomegranate molasses to flavor the farro (this is one a coworker likes to make).

Summer Grain Bowl with Green Goddess Feta Dressing - A seasonal (summer) take on the farro bowl. Lots of great recipes for vinaigrettes and dressings to boot.