Food Swap: MPLS Swappers

When I first heard about the MPLS Swappers I could hardly contain my excitement.  In fact, I couldn’t contain it-I emailed all of my foodie friends and was bursting with anticipation to attend my first swap.  I’ve been to soup swaps before and I organize a meal exchange every month with my mom friends but the MPLS Swappers offered something different.  I had no idea what other people were bringing and well, I had no idea what I was going to bring.  With the soup swap and the meal exchange, you go in knowing what you will come home with (soup, meals, etc) with the MPLS Swappers event you have no idea.   You could come home with jam, pâté, homemade bread or even backyard eggs and that’s the truly brilliant part of the exchange-each exchange offers so many different items and appeals to so many different people (vegetarians, carnivores, chocolate enthusiasts, jam lovers and even vodka admirers).
The first Swappers event I attended was on July 9.  After browsing their blog and getting some ideas of what I might expect to find, I decided that I would make my Chocolate Beet Cupcakes.  Rich, dark chocolate cupcakes with pureed beets.  I felt like it was my first day of school-I didn’t know anyone.  I almost went to the wrong location and was caught by Melissa Daudt in the parking lot who offered a warm welcome and shared with me that she had made chicken liver pâté.  Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore.
My afternoon continued much in the same way, mesmerized by all the delicious things some 30+ people came out to swap.  There was lemon confit, whoopee pies, strawberry ice cream and even chocolate chip cookie dough hummus. We were given instructions on how the swap would work.  You fill out a piece of paper describing your item to swap, and then everyone walks around checking out each other’s food and enjoying samples of the products.  Participants come around and write on your sheet what they would swap you for (what they brought).  Then there is an announcement to swap and everyone checks out their sheet and decides what they want to swap.  This is the part where I froze.  I literally just stood there.
Women were zigzagging back and forth in the swap area.  Some with their products, some standing in front of other’s tables waiting for the person to return.  I decided I should probably get moving. While some people write on your bid sheet, sometimes the things you want haven’t been written on your sheet.  So, you need to get moving and talk to the people who have the items you want to swap.  So that’s what I did.  I was lucky enough to secure one of Melissa’s chicken liver pâtés but I had one other item I really wanted, the lemon confit.  Apparently everyone else had the same thought because their jars were flying off the table.  I went by their table twice and inquired about a swap of the confit for my cupcakes. A short meeting between the confit owners ensued and then they confirmed that I would receive a jar!  I was lucky enough to trade the rest of my cupcakes for strawberry ice cream, backyard eggs, 2 jars of jam, wood butter, peanut butter bacon cookies and whoopee pies!
On August 14, I went to my second swap, still full of the same excitement, but with more confidence in knowing the process and I even had my mom in tow.  The swap was held at Open Arms of Minnesota a great location but also an organization doing amazing work.
For this swap, I decided to make my Grapefruit Cupcakes, fluffy citrus cakes with a light buttercream frosting.  My mom was armed with a whole cherry pie, right out of the oven.  One of the hot items at this swap was lavender infused vodka.
My mom was really hoping to exchange her pie for this.  I was able to secure a bottle and my mom traded her pie for a large jar of sauerkraut, which we were told was a family recipe and tradition (my mom really liked that).  In addition to the vodka, I came home with pickled eggs, Limón cello, Giardiniera, lemon curd, bourbon barbeque sauce, chili bread and sauerkraut.  When we got home, my mom and I celebrated the great event with an afternoon cocktail with lavender vodka.

The next swap is on September 10 and is sold out.  Tickets are sold in advance and sell out quickly.  Upcoming swaps will be on October 14, November 12 and December 11.  For more information about the MPLS Swappers check out: http://www.facebook.com/mplsswappers

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