June is great. The weather is warm but not yet unpleasantly sweltering, and those in the northern hemisphere will get the longest day of the year. Or, rather, the day with the most daylight, because there’s always someone waiting to @ us with, “but all days are 24 hours.” Then someone will @ them with, “actually, days are closer to 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds.” The someone will come in with, “how long did you spend going down that rabbit hole that nobody cares about to make a point for this write-up on Sporked? Please just get to the Trader Joe’s products.” Thank you, person from our fabricated scenario, for the seamless segue into five new Trader Joe’s products to look out for in June.
- Sliced Basil Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese
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It’s dark. You’re alone in the middle of the night. You want a grilled cheese sandwich, and pesto toast, and garlic bread, but you only have two slices of bread. What’s a protagonist to do?! You whip open the fridge to reveal the hero: Trader Joe’s Basil Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese. Infused with flavors of garlic and basil puree, this new Trader Joe’s cheese tastes great on a classy charcuterie board or in a midnight grilled cheese. You might say this cheese is a…jack of all trades. What can we say? We love cheesy jokes.
- Crispy Battered Calamari
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Engagement rings are cool but calamari rings are cooler. They’re so cool, they’re practically frozen. Well, these ones are actually frozen, so you can take them home and pop them in your airfryer whenever you please. Trader Joe’s didn’t get crazy with seasonings or anything. This is simply crispy fried calamari that are golden brown and just waiting to be brought back to life in the oven or airfryer and enjoyed with a generous squeeze of lemon.
- Norwegian Sourdough Rye Chips
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These sourdough chips are extra crunchy and nutty, thanks to the inclusion of rye berries, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Pair them with cheese during a sophisticated June soiree, or eat them straight out of the bag while staring at the light of your computer answering emails, because the school system mis-conditioned us to think that summers were for relaxing but the real world doesn’t stop in the summer and you’ve still got work to do.
- Passion Fruit Granola
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The bright flavors of passion fruit and raspberries are always welcome, especially when paired with a sweet, crunchy granola. Made with actual passion fruit puree and freeze dried raspberries, this new Trader Joe’s granola is a perfect topping for yogurt or simply served with milk. It’s also a fantastic snack to take with you on the morning walks you’ve been enjoying before it gets too hot, or on the sprint to the train station because your work deemed “island time” an unacceptable excuse.
- Lemon Herb Macaroni Salad
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You’d be hard pressed to find a more classic summer cookout food than macaroni salad, but TJ’s proves once again that a classic can be updated and upgraded. Starting with elbow macaroni, this version adds buttermilk to the classic mayo base, along with celery, cucumber, and caper relish made with vinegar, white wine, and lemon for unmatched brightness and zip. With herbs like dill and parsley, we will be double layering our paper plates to make sure they can hold up to the pile of macaroni calling our names.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!