Well, I’m happy to report that the inaugural Queens Swap was a rousing success! Everyone had a great time and left with new-to -them goodies. The space, graciously donated by the Queens Kickshaw, was perfect – even Jen, one of the owners, got into the action! She swapped containers of their delicious curried pepitas for a whole bunch of yummy things. Both she and Ben, her husband and business partner, were really impressed by the event.
The whole thing lasted about 2 hours, which was the perfect amount of time for this kind of event. That included enough time for people to arrive, set up, chat with the other swappers, make trades, and even get a drink and a grilled cheese sandwich to munch on – Queens Kickshaw makes wonderful coffee and incredible grilled cheese sandwiches that are actually cooked on a grill (after starting out warming in the oven).
My favorite of their sandwiches is the Gouda, which combines gouda cheese with guava jam, black bean hummus, and pickled jalepeños, all on Balthazar’s buttery brioche bread. It’s beyond fantastic. It also comes with a small salad made of myriad greens and fresh herbs, dressed with a piquant and spicy vinaigrette. I actually arrived early so that I could eat one of those sandwiches and have a cappuccino before things started to rev up with the swap.
Back to the swap. The variety of swappable food items was impressive, which made me very happy. There were lacto-fermented items, jams and relishes, wine, cookies, marshmallows, granola, and more. All homemade.
Here’s what I took home:
I’ve tasted everything except the black onion relish (left). The contents of the other three jars are all amazing, and I have no doubt that the black onion relish will be delicious. I also got a few bags of peanut and pepita brittle for my boyfriend. He tasted it last night and thought it was very tasty.
The things that I swapped were two bottles of vin d’orange, two bottles of maple vinegar, and a jar of homemade vanilla extract. It was pretty exciting to make the trades, and I’m glad there were people who wanted what I brought.
I loved seeing how happy people were, too.
And fun to see people casing the goods, making bids.
More pictures of the event can be found in my Queens Swap photoset.
We’re already talking about and planning the next Queens Swap, which will be in July. I will share details of it here when they are in place! Many thanks for all who attended and also to my fellow organizers, Judith and Charlene. I couldn’t have brought this idea to light without their help.
Hooray for Queens Swap!
Meg, I had such a great time at Queens Swap and truly share in your enthusiasm for the items that were swapped and the general wonderfulness of our participants. Hoorray!
Is this only swap food homemade? Can anyone come to see what it is about so in future when have products to swap will have better idea of what to expect and goes on? Can one buy
any of the goods without swapping. What a great idea! Casing the goods and making the bids.
where is the info on procedures?
Hi Pauline – the food accepted at the swap must be homemade, home grown, home raised, or foraged yourself. People are welcome to come by and ask questions or check it out. No good are for sale – it’s all barter.
You can find more info here: http://queensswap.com/about-queens-swap/
I would love some of these recipes. I am seeking recipes that can be canned or last for a while without being canned. Are there any blogs you refer to or would you be willing to share some of these great finds?
Hi Blind Bride! There are a few blogs I go to to find canning recipes. Here are a few:
Handjobs (For the Home)
Well-Preserved
Food in Jars
Doing Google searches help, too. Plus, come back here during the late spring through late fall for posts on canning, too! 🙂
How did the DEC Food swap turn out? I had an event that overlapped and difficult with the
trains that day to do both. Next one please send me a notice as never got one found out
through TCK member.