The first Seattle Edible Exchange
Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 7:26PM Yesterday was my first-ever food swap.
Boy, oh boy I made out like a bandit!
Ever heard of a food swap? An edible exchange? As a preserver with a pantry full of treasures, I've been eager to get involved with such an event. It's a perfect way to share one's pantry: trading with others. Here in Seattle, Emily Bader took the bull by the horns and started a Facebook page for Seattle Edible Exchange, then followed through by hosting the first swap on her verdant patio in Ballard. She couldn't have been more charming.
Emily took her inspiration from BK Swappers in Brooklyn, who were written up in a recent article in the New York Times, but there are plenty of other successful food swaps, like those held in Austin and Minneapolis. Some swaps are much closer to home, like the ones in Portland. (In Portland they sometimes take it a step further and it becomes a place to meet talented, like-minded single swappers.)
Trying the Rhubarb~Cherry~Jalapeno Chutney...sampling is a fun part of a swap
Where ever they are held, I'm hooked. While many of the goods are packaged in sealed ready-for-the-pantry jars, you don't have to know how to know how to preserve food to participate. You can be a butcher, a baker or a chicken-egg taker. Maybe you're someone who creates your own salt blends or salad dressings or BBQ sauce. The possibilities are endless.
If you like to give food as gifts, consider attending a food swap. You'll get the same satisfaction from sharing your lovingly-made (harvested? foraged?) treats, but this time, you'll come home with a smug smile on your face and a whole lotta' fun new stuff to eat.
Items at yesterday's swap included: Gazpacho Soup with fresh mint, Cherry Granola Bars, Kumquat Syrup, Rhubarb~Dried Bing Cherry~Jalapeno Chutney, Brownies made with Callebaut Chocolate, Honey-Mint Mustard, Organic Basil Pesto, Mango Salsa, Sour Cherry Granola, and Rhubarb~Strawberry Jam.
Maybe the best part? After a wonderful sunny day, coming home from the swap and having a bowlful of fabulous home-made soup for dinner!
I paired this Gazpacho Soup with Essential Bakery's Olive Bread. Heaven.
Oh...oh...oh...almost forgot to mention the Cherry Granola Bars on the car ride home, and chewy Callebaut Chocolate Brownies for dessert later that night.
Reader Comments (2)
What an inspiration! My brother and I were talking about trying to do something similar to this up in Vancouver this year. Any tips or suggestions? I have food allergies and we were thinking people could label if they have made something in a fish and peanut free environment so I could participate as well. Awesome job, it looks like it was so successful!
Cat you HAVE to do this. I mean, you already have someone willing to help you make it happen -- your brother. And Vancouver is such an amazing food town. Full of talented food folks.
This was the first swap and we are all learning. The gal who started it gathered quite a bit of info on the subject and I have too, so we're putting our heads together and hoping it just keeps getting bigger and better. (She's handing the reins over to me; I'm going to take over the Seattle Edible Exchange Facebook Page, and after that I'll be setting up a Twitter handle for it.) I hope to be successful in getting the word out to A LOT of people, and to keep writing about it so that we can all benefit from this wonderful trend.
As for tips & suggestions, click on my links within my blog post (or Google) and read more about the swaps in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, Austin and Portland. There are great ones all over the country. Lots in California too!
Definitely be diligent about setting down guidelines for allergies. We labeled ours: Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Vegan, etc. and I think that is a very important part of the swap for sure.
I can't wait to hear what happens...keep me posted. Let's stay in touch, okay?
B
PS I think social media is so important when it comes to getting the word out about swaps, plus contacting anyone who writes about events in your city.
If you build it, they will come! :)