Hamptons Lane is a monthly gourmet food subscription box. Each month you get to preview the theme, and you can opt out if it’s not for you.
Hamptons Lane sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
FYI – if you are interested in this box, it is still available as of today if you sign up for a subscription.
The Subscription Box: Hamptons Lane
The Cost: $47 a month (with the option to skip any month).
The Products: Artisan food products centered around a new theme each month.
Ships to: US only, extra shipping costs for Alaska and Hawaii.
Keep track of your subscriptions: Add Hamptons Lane to your subscription list or wish list!
Check out our past reviews of Hamptons Lane or visit the Food Subscription Box Directory for more food boxes!
This month’s theme is Taco Party.
The included brochure details all of the items included.
On the back of the brochure, Hamptons Lane lists a couple of recipes that utilize the ingredients and tools in the box.
Blue Corn Masa Harina and Yellow/White Masa Harina from Tortillas de la Tierra- $14 ($7 each)
Masa Harina has a fine texture that makes it ideal for making tortillas. I’ve never had blue corn tortillas before (just blue corn tortilla chips, I think), so I was especially excited about the blue corn masa harina.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from DL Jardine's- $6.99
This green salsa is a “feisty alternative to traditional red salsas” and has a fire-roasted flavor. Unfortunately, my jar leaked in transit. No damage was caused to the other products, though.
La Menchaca Fajita Seasoning from South Texas Spice Company- $6
La Menchaca’s mission is to bring authentic old-world taste to new-world cuisine. This seasoning is a blend salt, garlic, onion, and other spices, and it can be used on fajitas, steaks, or other BBQ meats.
Margarita Salt with Chipotle Chile from Salt Traders- $12
This salt is absolutely beautiful. In addition to being used for rimming cocktails, it can be used for seasoning meats, seafood, and vegetables or as a finishing salt. Almost all of the Hamptons Lane recipes this month utilize it in some way.
6.5" Aluminum Tortilla Press from Imusa- $19.99
I was so excited to receive a tortilla press in this box! I’d never made tortillas before, and I couldn’t wait to give it a shot.
In addition to the recipes printed on the back of the info card, there are quite a few recipes available on the Hamptons Lane website. I couldn’t wait to try out my new tortilla press, but I first had to decide what kind of tacos to make. After reading over the recipes, I decided to make blue corn tortillas with the following fillings: Margarita Seasoned Shrimp, Avocado-Tomatillo Sour Cream Sauce, Mango Corn Salsa, and Tomatillo Rice. I also decided to make the following starters: Classic Guacamole, Super Fresh Mild Tomato Salsa, and Perfect Margaritas.
The Starters
Before I started cooking, I made my husband and myself a couple of “Perfect Margaritas.” I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve only ever made margaritas with neon green margarita mix, so I was excited to up our cocktail game. The recipe was very simple: 1.5 oz Cointreau, 1.5 oz good tequila, and the juice of one lime shaken over ice and poured into a glass rimmed with the Chipotle Chile Margarita Salt.
These were delicious but very strong. I was happy to sip on mine as it was, but my husband added a little extra lime juice and some water to dilute it.
Next, I made the guacamole, tomato salsa, and mango salsa. I put out the dips with some tortilla chips, so we could nibble on them while cooking.
The dips were all great, but the mango salsa was phenomenal. Here’s a closeup:
It was sweet, spicy, and delicious. I will say, however, that I had to cut back on the salt. Usually, I’m pretty heavy handed with seasoning, but the recipe called for 2 teaspoons of margarita salt (the recipe yielded a total of maybe 2.5 cups), and I knew that 2 teaspoons would be way too much salt, even for me. I cut the salt in half, and I thought it was perfectly seasoned (if maybe still a little on the salty side for most).
The Main Course
For our shimp tacos, I started by making the rice. While it boiled, I made the Avocado-Tomatillo Sour Cream Sauce in my small food processor. (Both the rice and sauce recipes incorporated the tomatillo salsa. Since mine had been damaged in transit, I substituted a similar product I purchased at my local grocery store.) When the rice was done boiling, I mixed in tomatillo salsa and chopped cilantro and set it aside.
While I made the dough for the tortillas (just masa harina and water), my husband skewered and seasoned the shrimp. We let the dough rest for 30 minutes and brought the broiler up to temperature.
When the dough was ready, I portioned it using an ice cream scoop.
Hamptons Lane suggested pressing the dough between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking, so I cut a few pieces and set them aside.
I heated the skillet and set to pressing the tortillas. Making tortillas definitely has a learning curve. I’d never made them before, so it took me a couple of tries before I was able to press even, round tortillas and successfully transfer them to the skillet.
My first tortillas were fairly mangled, so I just balled up the dough and tried again. I got the hang of it, though, eventually.
Once transferred to the hot skillet, each tortilla cooked for about 5 minutes.
While they cooked, my husband broiled the shrimp.
When everything was ready, we filled the tortillas and topped them with a little cilantro.
The tacos were excellent! The still-warm tortillas were delicious, and I thought all of the components came together really well. I’m already excited to make tortillas again. I think next I’ll make yellow/white corn tortillas with fajita seasoned chicken!
Verdict: I really loved this box. I thought the products and tools included were expertly curated, and I was very impressed by the recipes Hamptons Lane chose to feature. I love that Hamptons Lane sends both food items that you can use in their recipes and also a piece of kitchen equipment that will last for years to come. The value of the box adds up to almost $60, so I’m very happy with that for the $47 cost. I would definitely recommend this box for adventurous home cooks and foodies!
What do you think of the Hamptons Lane Taco Party box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.