Taste Trunk - August 2013 Gourmet Trunk

Last month I introduced Taste Trunk, a new foodie subscription service, by sharing the July BBQ.  Each month Taste Trunk offers four different trunk themes: The Gourmet Trunk, The Health Trunk, The Sweet Trunk, and The BBQ Trunk.  For $29/month (plus a $5.99 shipping charge--these trunks are darn heavy), you receive "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on the companies and amazing recipe ideas."  With your Taste Trunk subscription, you are free to change trunk themes each month, as long as you submit a request to do so by the 25th of the month.  While I loved the assortment and value of last month's BBQ Trunk, I was excited to try out another trunk for August and decided on the Gourmet Trunk.

My August Gourmet Trunk included six unique products:

The Jam Stand - Drunken Money Jam ($10.00/8 oz)
"Sugar coated bananas, a splash of rum and a dash of lime." The ingredients on this small batch jam couldn't get any simpler: just bananas, sugar, lime, all natural pectin, and rum.

This is such a unique jam.  I've never encountered a banana jam before and I find it utterly fascinating that this one is flavored with lime and rum.  I think it'll be great slathered on toast, waffles or pancakes.  It would be a real "wow" factor to any breakfast served to company.

Cucina & Amore - Pesto alla Siciliana (~$4.50/7.9 oz*)
"Pesto alla Siciliana is a traditional Italian sauce originating in the southern Italian region of Sicily.  Prepared with a combination of pounded basil, sun-dried tomatoes and seasoned with sunflower oil.  Cucina and Amore selects only the finest and freshest ingredients to prepare this ancestral Italian pasta sauce."

I love pesto.  The hubby isn't the biggest fan of sun-dried tomato pesto, so I'll probably utilize this for a few lunches.  I particularly enjoy pestos used for cold pasta salads and I think this one will be delicious in that utilization.

*I could only find this sauce sold in bulk packs of 6 on Amazon for around $28.00.  I'm sure the individual retail value is considerably higher.

Two Snooty Chefs - Kansas City Steak ($6.95/2 oz)
"Robust blend for all your grilled or roasted meats."

The recipe card included to accompany this seasoning blend is for Kansas City Smoked Bleu Burgers and they sound killer.  I'm definitely going to give this seasoning (and that recipe) a try before grilling season is over.

The Girl & The Fig - Lavender Sea Salt ($4.00/2 oz)
"Sprinkle on fish, chicken or pork before pan searing or grilling.  Toss with grilled vegetables.  Serve as a condiment on the table."

At first this product sort of surprised me.  I'm curious to see how it would taste in savory situations as the description suggests; however, I think it could be lovely as a salty touch in a dessert (perhaps some lavender salted caramel concoction).  Something about lavender and fancy sea salt feels so luxurious.

Susan's Salsa - Gourmet Green Tomato Salsa Relish ($4.25/12 oz)
"Susan's Green Tomato Salsa Relish - a tantalizing mix of fresh green tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and tangy jalapeno pepper, plus savory and sweet spices.  The result?  A salsa relish that is great for chips, delicious in tacos, and a special delight as a topping for seafood or grilled dishes.  Go green!"

I'm hosting a girl's book club next week and I think I may use this salsa relish for one of the appetizers I serve.  The accompanying recipe card for this products suggest mixing 8 oz. of the relish with 8 oz. of whipped cream cheese to serve as a dip for Wheat Thins or crackers.  Sounds divine!

Ivéta - Apricot Scone Mix ($7.50/10.6 oz)
The Ivéta Apricot Scone Mix was featured on Oprah's "O" list and is made with the finest California Blenheim apricots.  The scone mix is simply prepared with a cup of heavy cream which results in scones that are "tender and moist, not hard and dry."

I'm mostly a purist when it comes to baking and tend to prepare things from scratch.  That said, the ingredients in this scone mix are as basic as can be (exactly what you'd expect to see on a from-scratch recipe) and I love that the preparation only requires heavy cream.  I'm a huge fan of scones and biscuits that utilize heavy cream in place of butter and/or eggs as I find the flavor and texture outstanding.  I'm looking forward to trying these out, perhaps with a smear of honey.

As always, each Taste Trunk includes a beautifully packaged array of information and recipe cards to accompany the products included in the trunk.

The recipes are usually incredibly unique and thoughtful, providing some fantastic ideas on how to utilize and experiment with the gourmet products included in the trunks.

Total value of my August Gourmet Taste Trunk: approximately $37.20.

I'm really pleased with the products from my Gourmet Trunk.  Most of the items are very unique and they all have a very simple, quality ingredient list.  Some of these products have a real quirky "wow" factor to them (I'm looking at you, Drunken Monkey Jam), while others are a little more subtle but sure to please!

If you'd like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% on your first trunk with the code "winsomegirl25" which will bring the cost of the Trunk of your choice down to $21.75 (plus $5.99 shipping).  If you do decide to sign up, please kindly provide my name (Amy Kelly) as your referral during checkout.

*Full disclosure: I paid for the Taste Trunk subscription with my own money.  I receive no commission or any other benefit if you use the discount code that Taste Trunk provided me to share with you.  I will, however, receive a 10% discount on the purchase of future Trunks if you decide to enter my name as a referral during checkout (which I would greatly appreciate as I enjoy saving money as much as the next girl.)