Trader Joe's Grecian Style Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions


Vegetables in a can. Whooooo..how exciting. Probably not something I would have picked up from the shelves, but HEY sometimes TJs purposely samples products that aren't selling well that you would otherwise overlook. 




Is this an actual thing in Greece? I wonder. 


The eggplants are bathing in oil. Yum. 


Grecian style but made in Bulgaria. And vegan. 


How appetizing. At least it looks better than cat food. 


Took me three months or so from purchase to actually crack it open, which tells you how excited I was to eat this. I served it on some baguette slices. A hates eggplant, so he was unable to give a helpful opinion on this matter. Very sweet and tomato-y, mushy, and oily. Sure there's some pieces of onion in there, and it would have been nice with some roasted red pepper, but what gives? Honestly, it reminds me of a Mediterranean version of the canned foods my mom eats with congee (usually pickles, sardines, other unrecognizable but salty foods). The baguette thing got old for me. It would have been weird in congee. I ate it eventually with spaghetti squash and realized there's a reason why people leave out eggplant from spaghetti sauce (just didn't complement my sauce or my meatballs even though it was tomato-based). 

You're supposed to serve this as an appetizer, but it's not the prettiest food in the world. It doesn't really resemble a baba ganoush at all. It's too heavy for a chip or a cracker and definitely needs a hefty piece of bread to transport this to your mouth. Can't say it's the most delectable form of eggplant but not the worst either. It's aiite I guess. *shrug*

$1.29 per can. I suppose party appetizers could do worse.

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Grecian Style Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions. Vegetarian appetizer in a can for your next party. How scintillating. 5 out of 10. 

Comments

  1. I love this stuff! wouldn't know how close to Greek it is... I spread it on top of sour cream on bread. I have simple tastes. I also use it on rice and veg.

    Good for hors d' oeuvres - brown bread, a dollop of this spread (& sour cream?), a slice of cucumber or avo, a sprig of arugula...

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  2. This combo was totally by accident. I'm vegan and had made the lentil and fresh brusscheta mixture minus the feta. Bought a can of this for a Mediterranean inspired meal. Grilled vegetables, etc. The eggplant and the lentil mixture combined on my plate. OMG....so yummy. Love this!!! It's a great addition to brown rice, veggies, wraps, etc.

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    1. I'll have to try it again with your suggestions. Thanks!

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  3. This is an appetizer dish in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, etc. Meant to be eaten tapa-style with some other things as a starter course before the main dish. Personally, I like to mix a can of this with a can of beans, and it makes a pretty nice vegetarian stew.

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  4. I cooked up some saffron basmati rice (just regular basmati rice with some saffron and salt dissolved in the water prior to adding rice) and then cooked up the canned eggplant mix in a skillet with cubed chicken thigh, adding cilantro and a little lime juice on the end. The mixture is delicious served over the rice. It’s close to a traditional Persian dish, bademjoon

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    2. that sounds amazing! sounds like it really works in that dish. :)

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  5. Yum. I discovered this today next to the dolmas. I can honestly say I rate this highly.

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