Versions of the swap have recently taken place in more than 30 cities across the country, from Austin, Texas to Boston. The movement can be traced to Kate Payne, a blogger and author who wrote The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking.
On her blog, Payne has detailed instructions that make putting together a swap as simple as five steps. She also compiles a list of all the food swaps going on around the country.
Marisa McClellan, of the blog "Food in Jars," is one of the local organizers, and calls Payne a friend, which made setting up this first one all the easier. She found the space (donated by the church), the organizers put together a digital invitation, and the young, hip home-cook community responded: All 35 spaces were filled within two weeks.
The swappers ignored the humidity of the church basement, slapped on their name tags, and found their assigned tables. Swappers came from the city, Cherry Hill, Germantown, and as far away as North Wales.
Each participant was told to bring any homemade good or goods they wanted, along with plenty of samples. As they arranged their jams and salts and spreads, one of the organizers, Georgia Kirkpatrick, took the stage to go over the rules.
The first hour was for tasting and talking. Swappers were supposed to leave their samples and stroll around, giving everything a try. If something tempted their taste buds, they should write their name on the silent-auction sheet at that station.
The second hour was for swapping. Everyone should check their sheets and start making the handoff. "It's not a binding contract," said Kirkpatrick. "If I'm really excited about what you have, you're probably going to trade with me because you're nice."
