Hamptons Lane is a monthly subscription that sends gourmet foods and kitchen tools. They release a new box every month based around a theme, and you can opt out if it isn’t for you.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Hamptons Lane
The Cost: $47 a month (with the option to skip any month).
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $10 off your first box
CODE: Subscription10
The Products: Artisan food products centered around a new theme each month.
Ships to: US only, with extra shipping costs for Alaska and Hawaii.
Check out all our Hamptons Lane reviews and visit the Food Subscription Box Directory for more food boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
September’s theme is “Taste of the Southwest.”
Hamptons Lane includes a booklet that details all of the items included in the box.
The booklet also provides recipes and cooking tips.
I also received a card promoting the add-on items for this box.
Optional add-on items include meat claws (what in the world are meat claws?), a tortilla press, and a lime juicer.
Rancho Gordo Santa Maria Pinquito Beans (1 lb.) - $5.95
These look a lot like pinto beans, but they’re actually of the pinquito variety, small pink beans that are native to California’s Santa Maria Valley. They’re small, meaty, and firm and can be added to soups, salads, and casseroles.
Carnitas Spice Blend by Melissa Guerra
I can’t find this spice blend available on the Melissa guerra website, and according to the Hamptons Lane website, this is a custom blend of spices made exclusively for subscribers.
It’s a blend of cumin, chile powder, and oregano.
The color is nice and vibrant, and the smell is wonderfully piquant!
The Spice House Ancho Chile Peppers (2 oz.) - $2.51
I don’t use a lot of peppers in my cooking, but I like peppers and I’m always excited to learn new ways to incorporate them.
Ancho chiles are a staple in dishes like chili and tamales, and Hamptons Lane describes the flavor as being almost raisin-like.
Zukali Cilantro Pineapple Salsa (16 oz.) - $6.95
This salsa is made with roasted peppers and tomatillos, and it has a really great balance of flavor. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and completely delicious. Hamptons Lane recommends using this to make braised chicken enchiladas, but I think I’m going to use it on top of a homemade burrito bowl.
Imusa Granite Molcajete - $19.99
This is the hero item in this month’s box, and I love it!
I don’t own a pestle & mortar, and I have a feeling I’m going to get a lot of use out of it.
It’s made out of granite, and it has a seriously substantial weight to it.
This can be used to grind whole spices or make guacamole.
It’s a really great size, I think. (Hopefully, my hand will help provide a sense of scale.) It’s big enough to make enough guacamole for a small group of people.
Quite a few of the recipes provided this month call for Ancho Chile Powder.
To make the powder, I roasted a few of the provided dried chiles, ground them using the mortar and pestle, and mixed in some of the carnitas spice blend and a little paprika.
Here’s a shot of the mortar & pestle in action!
Hamptons Lane does an excellent job of providing fun and delicious recipes to accompany their boxes, and I always look forward to trying a few of them.
The first thing that jumped out at me this month was the recipe for these veggie sticks! To make them, I tossed slices of cucumber and jicama with lime juice and some of the ancho chile powder.
The veggie sticks were fresh and tasty. My husband had never (knowingly) had ancho chile, and he was a little obsessed with the flavor.
The ancho chile powder was also a key ingredient in this recipe for beef chili, which also contained the carnitas spice blend and the pinquito beans.
I usually make vegetarian chili, so this beef chili seemed like a real treat. (The recipe called for stew beef, as well as a red pepper, red onion, a jalapeno, crushed tomatoes, and lager.)
As per the recipe, I topped the chili with grated cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.
The flavor of this chili was great (smoky, rich, and meaty), but I wish I’d cooked it a little bit longer. The stew beef was tender, but I think the chili would have been even better if it was cooked until the meat was falling apart.
Verdict: This month’s recipes were really tasty (as usual!), and I like all of the products included. They fit the theme well, and I love my new mortar and pestle. If I were to purchase all of the items in this box separately, it would cost about $35.50 (not including the exclusive carnitas spice blend that I don’t have price for). Ideally, I’d like to see the value come in a little higher, but overall I’m happy with this box.
What do you think of this month’s box from Hamptons Lane?
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.