Win some Keogh's Farm Shamrock-Flavoured Potato Crisps!

Keogh’s Farm create the World's 1st Shamrock Flavoured Potato Crisps

Keogh’s, the entrepreneurial Irish farmers who have been growing potatoes in north county Dublin for over 200 years, have launched the world’s first-ever commercial shamrock flavoured food delight. Keogh’s have just launched their hand cooked Shamrock and Sour Cream Irish potato crisps to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. 

We Have some Shamrock Crisps, T-shirts & more to Win
here at the bottom of this Blog Post!

The crisps have a slight Lemon/Peppery taste almost like freshly picked watercress which is expected as Shamrocks are related to that plant family. This simple idea may turn out to be a bigger internationally-selling product than the family realised! Demand from abroad is high, ahead of St Patrick’s Day, due to the unique Irish nature of the Keogh’s Shamrock and Sour Cream potato crisps.

The crew love checking the quality at Keogh's Crisp factory!

They have been specially created on the Farm for St Patrick’s Day & available for a limited time only. The limited edition Shamrock flavoured potato crisps will be available to buy in Superquinn stores and select independent retailers nationwide from March 1st 2012 and online at www.facebook.com/keoghsfarm

The Keogh family have developed many commercial lines from their original potato farming

“We are the only potato growers in the world who offer fresh potatoes and potato crisps from the same farm side by side in the same store and we sleep, eat, breathe potato crisps and potatoes. The idea for a Shamrock crisp came from our absolute pride in being Irish farmers and a constant need to be innovative in our offering, we are very excited about them and already have interest from abroad” commented Tom Keogh, Keogh’s Farm.

Ireland's patron saint, St Patrick, depicted holding the Shamrock

According to Irish legend, the druids in Ireland looked at the shamrock as a sacred plant because its leaves formed a triad. Three was a mystical number in the Celtic religion. Then St Patrick, who was thought to be born in Wales, used the shamrock in the 5th century to teach people about Christianity as he travelled around Ireland. He told people that each of the three leaves illustrated the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit of the Holy Trinity.

The Shamrock & Sour Cream Crisps have been specially launched for St Patrick's Day!

The Shamrock come from Living Shamrock in Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry. This area in Ireland has been producing fresh shamrock for the American President since 1952!

The Shamrock has been recognised as a symbol of Ireland for many centuries

Keogh’s are the only “on-farm” producers of hand cooked potato crisps in Ireland, having recently set up a small ‘crisping house’ on their farm, hand cooking crisps in small batches and turning them from “crop to crisp” on the same day. Keogh’s have been growing potatoes in north county Dublin for many generations and these Irish farmers really know how to grow a spud with love. Keogh’s Shamrock and Sour Cream flavour potato crisp is available in a large sharing bag for €2.49.

COMPETITION TIME!

We have a Keogh's Farm St Patrick's Day Foodie Bag for one lucky reader - which will include an I Love Spuds T-Shirt, an Easy Spud pod and some bags Keogh’s Shamrock and Sour Cream crisps! 


To win this unique prize simply leave a comment here at the bottom of this post. The competition will run until Wednesday 14th March. 


You can also leave a comment on our Facebook Page to Enter at https://www.facebook.com/www.IrishFoodGuide.ie
You must leave an email contact to enter the competition so we can contact you if you win! 
Good Luck!

To find out more about Keogh's hand cooked crisps visit: www.keoghs.ie or see their Facebook page at  www.facebook.com/keoghsfarm 


There is a Full List of Shops that Stock Keogh's Farm Crisp Here


UPDATE:
Thank you for all the entries via the Blog, Facebook & Twitter. The winner is  Bill King @BilllKing

And Bill just sent us this lovely pic from Wales!

zack

A Simple Irish Soda Bread for St Patrick's Day

At this time of year, in the run up to St Patrick’s Day, you may well see a host of different recipes for Soda Bread popping up in magazines and all over the internet. Many of these are good wholesome and simple recipes that have been handed down for a few generations. Some of them, however, have no resemblance to the traditional and basic Soda Breads that we, here in Ireland, have grown up with.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread ready for Breakfast!

So here is my simple Soda Bread recipe. It uses baking powder instead of baking soda. This bread is quick and easy to make and it tastes great served with butter, home-made Rhubarb & Ginger Jam and a big mug of hot tea!


My Ingredients:
750g household (plain) flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of salt
100g real butter
1 fresh egg
300ml cold water + 100ml milk (mixed together)
Preheat the oven to 175°C, 345°F, Gas mark 4.

Cross the top of the bread to let the heat get in to the centre

 My Method:

1.  Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together quickly with a whisk, or slowly with a sieve if you prefer.  Rub the butter finely into the flour.
2. Beat the egg, milk and water together in a jug and add 80% of this to the dry ingredients. Mix this in with your hand and bring it quickly together into a soft dough. Add the rest of the liquid as you need it. Do not over knead the dough or you will make the bread 'heavy'.
3.  Turn it out on your worktop and knead it gently - just enough to smooth the bottom of the dough – 6 or 7 turns should do it.
4.  Place it on a floured baking tray and flatten the bread to about 3cm (1”). Cut a cross in the top of the dough, cutting no more than ½ way through the bread. Gently push the knife to both sides as you cut to widen the gap.
5. Pop it into the oven at 160°C, on the middle shelf, for 45 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time check for colour, turning the bread around if necessary depending on your oven type.
6.  Check the bread, by inserting a skewer into the thickest part, to make sure it’s cooked and if not give it another 5 minutes in the oven. The skewer will come out clean when cooked. Slide the bread on to a wire rack and let it cool before eating.

Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) needs an acidic addition (traditionally buttermilk) to make it rise and would have been the original method of raising the bread. Baking Powder is made with baking soda but already has Cream of Tartar added to it, as it’s acidic agent. You can use buttermilk, for taste purposes, if you wish.


Cutting the cross in the top of the bread had nothing really to do with aesthetics!  It was done to let the heat into the centre of the bread so that it would bake evenly. It was also a form of portion control and facilitated breaking the bread into even pieces when you were out working in the fields or the bog! Make it for your family & friends and do enjoy!


Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack