We've always loved spying on Trader Joe's, since it always has good, fresh ideas. So the news today is that you can go on their site, www.traderjoes.com, and check out their Summer Guide 2008. You'll see an abundance of new products in frozen/refrigerated, including organic pink lemonade, Mediterranean Hummus, lite cheddar slices, refrigerated flatbread pizzas (basil pesto, and carmelized onion and sausage), and frozen lemon tartes.

   You gotta love how they romance the products, too. Take those lemon tartes: "This dessert is such a tart, we almost called it Lemon Hester Prynnes. But then we'd have to put an "A" on it, and it all sort of unraveled from there. So we arrived at Lemon Tartes. Not as literary, perhaps, but far more simple. A wonderful French baker in the San Francisco Bay area is making these special lemon delights for us. A buttery crust is baked in a mold, which ws custom made for us to be just the right size for one person. Once baked, the crust is filled with a velvety lemon custard filling. As soon as the tarte is finished, it is flash frozen at very low temperaturs to lock in every bit of freshness and flavor. Beautiful and pure, tasteful and tasty.All you have to do is thaw and serve. Each box contains two individual tartes. We're selling Trade Joe's lemon tartes for just $3.49 for a 6.6 ounce box. You'll find them in our frozen section."  

   It doesn't get much better than that. They're selling "buy local," they're appealing to convenience and portion control, and they're having fun at the same time. 

   On the "What's New" section of Products, are two intriguing frozen selections: Mini Raspberry Jelly Donuts and Hofbrau Brats.