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Edmonton Winter Food Swap 2012

February 19, 2012 by Valerie Lugonja 17 Comments

A brilliant idea for a food exchange!

When Deb the Locavore invited me to this via Facebook, I was seriously intrigued having not heard of such before.  She asked that each attendee bring 10 preserved items to swap with others as well as something to contribute to a potluck lunch that would highlight your preserves so people could taste what they may be getting. Did I have preserves? Yes, I did! But, I didn’t really have ten of one kind that I would be allowed to give away, except the green tomato ketchup. And, I had just developed a deep love for it with my oven roasted fries. On its own, it is OK. The colour is, well, green. But, with my oven fries, deadly delish. I do not lie. Others agree. (speak up, people)

So, though I hate cookie swaps because I slave over mind and get broken stuff in return, this was novel. Preserving is big. It is important. We live in a winter climate and where can you taste what others are making and decide if you want to make it, too? After my beet recipe last year (disastrous, though the food blogger I got the recipe from said otherwise) I was only going to make tried and true. Maybe this would open my world to other family’s tried and true preserves.

Deb had some Canadian cheeses on a board with her fancifully potted yogurt cheese. Brilliant presentation that I am heretoforth using. The wares were set on the table.

Deb’s co-hostess, Mira, is clearly a little overachiever! She brought four small apple pies, four small boxes of dulce de leche chocolates, four bags of frozen empanadas and two trays of beautiful linzer cookies with almond dough. Yes, of course, every one of them was homemade. And, I will add, delicious. Don’t forget there was the buffet lunch. She offered piping hot delectable empanadas that were beautifully seasoned with a rich buttery pastry. I see a cooking class evolving here!

I knew Deb was a good cook because the Gougères (cheese puffs) she made for the last Slow Food Edmonton meeting were delectable. I didn’t know she was into charcuterie and has been curing meat in her basement. Her chorizo was excellent as was her hot pepper jelly.

What I truly enjoyed was learning how adventurous Deb is. She read about ajvar on my site, researched it, and without ever tasting any, made her own. It was pretty good. And who cares what it tastes like as long as it is good, and you like it. Hers was definitely tasty. As was her crabapple rosehip jelly made from Allan Suddaby’s recipe here. I was truly thrilled to see the food community network sharing through blogging actually put into practice.

Super Su brought two kind of vegetable soup to share. What a great idea!

My oven roasted fries with my green tomato ketchup. Deb’s jellies, above. Super Su didn’t contribute soup to the buffet, but instead, the quintessential Winter Prairie Salad: Gold Forest Grains Wheatberry Salad laden with barley and aromatics. YUM!

We were deep into the tasting experience when Karen Lee arrived with Apple Butter Buns! What a brilliant take on cinnamon buns: much less fatty, fragrant and flavourful!

Look who woke up in time for the festivities? Londyn! Such beautiful dimples!

You can see that for my 9 small jars of green tomato ketchup, I did very well. Deb shared a variety of her preserved canned goods and I got her cherished corn relish and her garlic. Vanja loved the pie and it is gone already!

Having been to one, I will no longer let the preserves I have in jars limit my imagination or what I bring to one of these swaps! Deb and Mira are doing these food swaps seasonally this year. If you want to find out when the Spring one is, contact Deb here!

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Filed Under: Preserves, Promotions, Zone Three Harvest Tagged With: Slow Food

About Valerie Lugonja

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Comments

  1. supersu says

    February 19, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    this was a great event! nice to visit with old and new friends, good food and excellent trades!

    well done: deb and mira! i can only see this event getting bigger and better.

    i really appreciate being able to ‘trade’ for something i am not prepared or able to make myself.

    it was awesome and i cant wait till the next one.

    will have to get my thinking cap on for the may event….what to make! what to make!

    thanks val for capturing the moments with your gorgeous pictures-it is so valuable!

    cheers
    su 🙂

    Reply
  2. Taraz says

    February 19, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    The wheatberry salad looks amazing! Will someone please share the recipe. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kate says

    February 20, 2012 at 4:35 am

    We have these swaps around me too, but I’ve never been.

    Reply
  4. bellini says

    February 20, 2012 at 8:31 am

    Such a fun way to break up the winter blahs Valerie. Delicious food has a way of doing that.

    Reply
  5. The Teacher Cooks says

    February 20, 2012 at 11:49 am

    I think that I am living in the wrong place! I love this idea and what great food. Just fly me there!

    Reply
  6. Esme says

    February 20, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    What a clever idea. I have participated in food exchanges through the internet before and they have always been fun.

    Reply
  7. Simone says

    February 21, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    How I would love to have such a foodie community here too! I know a few foodbloggers in the Netherlands but not what you would call a community or with whom you could have such an awesome event. Live it! I think I have to move to Edmonton.

    Reply
  8. Lizzy (Good Things) says

    February 22, 2012 at 3:48 am

    Valerie, I just adore reading your posts…. so colourful and always delicious!

    Reply
  9. Debra Krause says

    February 22, 2012 at 11:35 am

    Thanks for the super awesome blog post on the event Val! 😀

    Reply
  10. christine @ wannafoodie says

    February 23, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    I love this event! Great concept. As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, please expect me to copy this. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Valerie says

    February 23, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Christine!
    Just JOIN US! and bring all of your friends – I am sure Deb won’t mind the extra help!
    Write to her about it…
    let’s grow together!
    🙂
    V

    Reply
  12. vianney says

    February 24, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    How fun! A great way to share goodies, mingle and connect!

    Reply
  13. Monet says

    February 25, 2012 at 1:26 pm

    How stunning! What a great way to share so many different culinary delights! Thank you for sharing with me. It brightened my Saturday and inspired me to get back into the kitchen and make something delicious. I hope you have a blessed Sunday!

    Reply
  14. El says

    March 2, 2012 at 9:05 pm

    What a great idea. EVerything looks so healthy and delicious. Glad you had fun!

    Reply
  15. Karen says

    March 4, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Hi Val! I finally got around to checking out your blog post! It was a pleasure meeting you. I had fun at the swap and I’m looking forward to the next one…

    p.s. your green tomato ketchup was delish!

    Reply
  16. Deeps @ Naughty Curry says

    March 7, 2012 at 4:49 am

    oh wow, this sounds like so much fun!! all those preserves look delecious 🙂

    Reply
  17. Devaki@weavethousandflavors says

    March 14, 2012 at 7:34 pm

    I am so jealous Valerie – i wish we had one of these where I live! The eats are just too delectable for words 🙂

    chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    Reply

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