The event is free. To attend you must pre-register on their site, bring a homemade food item or something from your home garden to swap. The hostesses provide, the venue (The Sports Basement in Potrero Hill). The attendees are also required to bring a food or beverage to share.
For this event, I decided to showcase 2 of my favorite kimchis: Curly Kale + Napa and Cauliflower with Cliantro , Jalapeño + Mint.
The evening is broken down into 3 phases:
Phase 1: Check-in. Set-up. Meet + Greet
Upon arrival our hostesses checked me in, put a name tag on my chest, provided 2 swap sheets and told me to find a space on the 5 folding tables in the room. There was a special table on the side to place my dish for sharing. I found a nice spot with my friend Erica who was showcasing her cookies and cheesecake in mason jars. We both quickly set-up. Tasting Jars (large ones) and Swap Jars were put on the table. I made lots of tasting cups so people could try the kimchi.
While others trickled into the event, Erica and I checked out the other swap items. Tasted a few items and chatted with their creators. Until the whistle was blown...
Phase 2: Shop. Taste.
The hostesses welcomed us to event and explained the rules:
- 15 minutes to formally visit the tables and taste the foods
- Any food you wish to swap, write your name on the swap sheet
- At the end of the 15 minutes return to your table
- Regroup and check your lists for swappers
- Check your list for swappers with whom you want to swap.
- It's ok not to swap your goods with others if you're not going to use it- be respectful
Whistle blow... Time to return to our tables and review the swap sheets. To my chagrin, my sheets were filled...front + back! It was something! I originally thought I offended some folks with the distinct kimchi aroma earlier, but apparently they like kimchi and the funk that goes with it.
Phase 3: SWAP!
And now is when the fun really begins. The idea is to review your list and find those swappers who want to mutually swap with you. You have a great chance of getting what you want. For me, no sooner the swap started, I was inundated with people coming to me asking if they could swap their goods for a bottle of one of my kimchis. I never had a chance to leave my table to get what I wanted! Luckily I had lots to swap (10 jars of each kind). Once I ran out, I even had people ask to swap my large taster jars. It was something!
In the end, I took home a bunch of fun loot. I only wish others labeled whether their products were shelf stable or required refrigeration. I ultimately lost some goodies to bacteria and mold. Here are some photos of the loot:
- meyer lemons
- dandelion pesto
- cashew milk sweetened with agave + cinnamon
- pizzelles
- burnt caramel sauce
- fudge sauce
- truffles
- brussels sprout kimchi
- 'morning eye opener' liquer
- hot carrots
- curried cauliflower
- organic herbs
- homemade cookies (thanks cookielab's ann!)
Overall the event was fun. Would I do it again? Maybe. The idea of starting my own food swap within my network of friends sounds like a neat idea. We'll just have to wait + see.
