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

Chicken with Chorizo Sausage & Sweet Potato Wedges

This recipe for chicken roasted with chorizo and peppers is perfect for a light lunch with friends. The chicken is baked with sweet roasted peppers, spicy chorizo sausage and red onions in a tangy Spanish-style tomato sauce and the sweet potato wedges make a great alternative to normal potatoes and will count as one of your 5-a-day veg.

Chicken with red wine, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, peppers
& the tasty spicy Chorizo sausage 

 My Ingredients:

For the Chicken Dish -

1 large chicken, cut into 8 pieces

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbls olive oil

100g chorizo, peeled and diced

3 peppers, deseeded & cut in chunky strips

2 red onions cut chunky

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

100ml glass red wine

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 lemon, juice & zest

For the sweet potato wedges:

2 large sweet potatoes cut into wedges

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp thyme leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

My Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes. When all the chicken pieces are nice and golden-brown, remove them and set aside.

2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same frying pan and cook the chorizo for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, red onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and red wine and stir all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour all of this into a roasting tin and place the chicken pieces on top.

3. Sprinkle the lemon zest and juice over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked, turning the chicken pieces over halfway through.

Cut the sweet potato wedges chunky

4. Meanwhile toss the sweet potato wedges in the oil and thyme then season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve the chicken with some dressed rocket salad and the wedges on the side.

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

zack

Donegal TDs in Food Coast Cook-Off Together!

Donegal Food Coast 'Cook Off' pitches two opposition TDs against each other!


Two local Donegal TDs are lined up for a face-to-face "Cook Off" on Friday 9th March, in Redcastle, Co Donegal, to help promote "The Food Coast - Donegal's Good Food Initiative".


The evening will begin with Community Chef Brian McDermott demonstrating a classic fish dish using Greencastle fish and other Donegal produce.  Next up will be TDs Pádraig MacLochlainn and Charlie McConalogue going head-to-head to cook a main course using local ingredients from a mystery basket of produce.  The Dáil deputies will be assisted by two students from the Letterkenny Institute of Technology's Tourism School.

Michael Tunney, CEO Donegal County Enterprise Board & Community Chef Brain McDermott
with TDs Pádraig MacLochlainn and Charlie McConalogue 

It isn't the first time the TDs have met in a competitive cooking event, with Charlie McConologue coming out on top on the previous occasion when he cooked an omelette in under 42 seconds.

The event is being organized by the Donegal County Enterprise Board food initiative "The Food Coast"  and will take place in Redcastle Hotel at 7pm as part of Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2012. The evening will finish with a tasting of local produce.

"It should be great fun" says Michael Tunney, Chief Executive of Donegal County Enterprise Board.  "Chef Brian McDermott always provides superb demonstrations that showcase local produce and we're expecting great things from Charlie and Pádraig".


Brian McDermott has achieved national recognition as The Community Chef where he works with community and sports groups to raise awareness of healthy food made from fresh local ingredients.  Cooking professionally for 20 years, Brian has worked in product development with Kerry Group before setting up his own award-winning restaurant "Finnegan's".

The Community Chef Brian McDermott  

He launched his first book, "Reunite with Food", in October 2011 and he has a weekly radio slot with BBC Radio.  The common theme of his work is using fresh local ingredients that help keep us all healthy and that support the local economy at the same time.


'The Food Coast - Donegal's Good Food Initiative' is a campaign to help establish Donegal as a county with a vibrant food culture and food economy.  The initiative has four main goals - to  encourage new food businesses, support existing food businesses, promote the sourcing of local produce and drive awareness locally and nationally of the fantastic food we have on our doorstep in Donegal.  The initiative is open to anyone with an interest in the County's food sector, from start-up businesses to part-time food producers, from on-farm artisan food producers to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs.

Organised by the Donegal County Enterprise Board

To attend the Free Cook-Off & Demonstration or for further information about Enterprising Donegal Business Week 2012, contact Celine Carroll, Donegal County Enterprise Board on 074 9160735 or email ccarroll@donegalenterprise.ie  Alternatively, you can visit the Donegal County Enterprise Board's website at www.donegalenterprise.ie and register online.


Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this Post!
zack

Pancake Tuesday & an Old Fashioned Pancakes Recipe

Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday - depending on your people's history, when I was a wee boy, was a very important day in the family calendar. It was the day when you had to tell the rest of the family exactly what you were giving up for Lent, which started the next day, on Ash Wednesday.

The reason for making such a declaration was so that all your brothers and sisters could keep an eye on you and each other and make sure you weren't breaking your fast!

In general it was Sweets that we gave up for Lent, but we were allowed to put any presents that were given to us into a big jar or box to keep for the 40 days duration of the fast. We were allowed to 'break Lent' for St Paddy's day which usually left you with a sore tummy after gorging on your stash of goodies.

Pancake Tuesday was a serious day in the religious calendar. It marked the day before Jesus went into the desert to think about his future and fight temptation. So that's what we had to do too!
Because many people went off meat, eggs, tea, milk and other things like this during Lent in the older days, Pancakes were made and ate for all meals during this day to use up any food products that needed using up.

Pancakes were probably the first thing I ever learned to make from my mum and I still enjoy making them, with sweet or savoury fillings, for any reason. There is not much difference between Crepes & Pancakes, a thicker mix and a smaller pour is about it!

One of my neighbours make her Pancakes with buttermilk and duck eggs, which are I must say Delicious!! If you don't have any buttermilk add a dash of lemon juice to the milk. This gives a wee zing to the flavour and also helps create a lighter batter by reacting wih the baking powder.


This is a simple recipe for Old Fashioned Pancakes:

My Ingredients:

350g flour

1/2 tspn baking powder
pinch salt
pinch sugar
2 eggs
300ml milk
60g butter, melted
a little oil for the pan

My Method:

1. Put the flour into a mixing bowl with the baking powder and give it a quick whisk to lighten it and smooth any lumps (much handier than sieving).

2. Add the salt, sugar, milk and eggs

3. Whisk together until creamy making sure there are no lumps.

4. Pour in the melted butter and whisk into the mix. The butter lifts the taste of the pancake and helps them get a lovely golden-brown colour in the pan.


You will need a good heavy-based frying pan. Pre-heat the pan to medium for perfect pancakes.

Pour them gently but quickly on to the pan

I don't let the pancake mix stand because the mix tends to thin as it stands - that's just fine if your making very thin crepes.  Just rub a little oil on the pan with a kitchen towel.


5. Pour 3 or 4 scoops of the pancake batter onto your hot pan. You don't have to shake or stir the pan, just let the pancakes find their own place.

6. Let them cook until the bubbles start to rise and just start to pop on top of the pancake. This means they are ready to turn.

7. Cook on the other side for about 1 minute and that's them ready!!


Get them off the pan and repeat the process until all the mix is gone. A tea-towel over the top of the pancakes will keep them warm. That is if you can keep little hands off them in the first place!

Enjoy with your favourite spreads. I love my pancakes with real Butter and home-made Jam.

Pancakes in the Old Days - The Irish Cultures & Customs Website

Here is a link to a website with a nice nostalgic piece of Irish Pancake history that I found this morning. It tells the Irish pancake story from a time back quite a few years more than my memories and from a family of Irish living in London in the 40's & 50's. Lovely.

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/acalend/shrovetues.html 

Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this post!
zack

Viewmount House - February's "Just Ask" Restaurant of the Month

“Just Ask! is a public awareness campaign run by Bordbia, The Irish Food Board, that aims to encourage consumers, when eating out, to look for information on where the food on their plate comes from and to encourage chefs to provide this information on their menus.”

In recent years, here in Ireland, the publicity generated by chefs in kitchens demanding better produce to work with in the first place have heightened the standards expected by customers in restaurants. Although often more expensive to buy because of the scale of operation, locally sourced produce, especially meats, are finally becoming the norm and the expected on Irish menus.

Restaurants are encouraged to provide transparency to customers by crediting the local suppliers for their product and providing supplier (particularly meat) details and country of origin information on their menus.

Each Month Bordbia pick one Just Ask Restaurant of the Month based on these criteria

and this month’s recommendation is: VM Restaurant, Viewmount House, Co. Longford.

Viewmount House Head Chef Gary O'Hanlon

Head Chef, Gary O’Hanlon, spoke here to Bordbia:

"Our menus show "VM’s" dedication to sourcing locally produced foods and we use them to name-check all of our suppliers.  Meat suppliers include Thornhill duck from Cavan, Wild Irish Game from Longford and Co. Wicklow, dry aged beef from Donald Russell, Co. Longford and rare breed pork from Jana Reinhaart. 

Traditional Irish Food with a modern Twist

 Kettyle Meats, Fermanagh supply us with their ‘free to roam’ chickens.  Seafood suppliers include Albatross of Killybegs, Co. Donegal and John Rogan of Rathowen, Co. Westmeath who supplies us with organic smoked fish.  Free range eggs are supplied by O'Halleran's of Kenagh, Co. Longford and fruit and vegetables are supplied by Shanley's of Longford Town and by Viewmount's own gardens."

The VM Restaurant at Viewmount House, Co Longford

Click Here for more details and the  Viewmount House website.

See here for previous JUST ASK winners http://www.bordbia.ie/aboutfood/eatout/pages/previouswinners.aspx

If you are own an Irish Restaurant you can check to see if you fit the criteria to be considered for a JUST ASK recommendation Click HERE

Thanks to Bordbia for Just Ask info & details 

Don't forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this post!

zack

Absolut Oysters & Vodka for Valentines Day

This is a wee thing we make every now and then and always for Valentines Day! This year it was even more special as those lovely people from ABSOLUT vodka sent me out one of their new limited edition bottles of ABSOLUT MODE.

Absolute Oysters & Vodka for Valentines Day

The lovely Emma Shannon told me that the bottle reflects "the world of fashion, through twelve facets wrapped with a band in midnight blue silk cloth with text embroidery. Inspired by the timeless fashion photographies that became popular after World War II, and the experimental films of the sixties for beauty giants L’Oreal and Elizabeth Arden, the bottle reflects the faces of fashion surrounding it." ...And tasty vodka it is too!!!

The very Classy looking ABSOLUT MODE  Vodka

This simple oyster starter dish is great for parties and reflects the tastes of the classic vodka-based hangover cure, the Bloody Mary. It uses almost the same ingredients but I use some freshly grated Ginger instead of Worcester Sauce to round up the flavours. You can double up the ingredients depending on the numbers.

My Ingredients:

12 Oysters

1 peeled Tomato

1/2 that amount of finely chopped Celery

1 teaspoonful of freshly grated Ginger

knob of Butter

juice of 1/2 Lemon

2x 35ml shots Absolut Vodka

Tobasco Sauce

My Method:

1. Open the oysters, loosen & turn.

2. Melt the butter in a small pot. Toss in the celery and cook until soft. Add the tomato & ginger and soften quickly stirring all the time.

3. Add the lemon juice and Vodka. Tip up to the gas and Flambee (or tip up to a lighter if you don't use gas) to burn off some of the alcohol and concentrate the flavour.

4. Splash in a few dashes of Tobasco sauce and take it off the heat.

5. Divide and spoon the hot reduction over the cold oysters and serve immediately!

It sound strange but it tastes Great! Yum!

For more on the Absolut Vodka see http://www.absolut.com/mode

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

Zack