It’s National Potato Day on Saturday 25th August, here’s a quick potatoes in a jar recipe to celebrate that uses leftovers. It’s perfect for kid and adult lunchboxes alike. There’s also a chance to win a hamper of goodies from Keogh’s Farm!

Keogh’s Farm and I have a love, love relationship. They love to grow potatoes, handmake crisps from those spuds and are all around nice guys to deal with. I love to eat their potatoes, have done for decades, their crisps are a new venture and they are mighty fine. It’s an added bonus that they are local to me so by eating their potatoes and crisps I’m supporting a local farm, jobs and enterprise. Do I need another excuse to eat their produce?

Early this morning we went on “an adventure” as the 3 year old puts it and took the train into Dublin City Centre to see the tall ships. I love everything to do with the sea and sailing but the tall ships make me want to sail into the sunset with the wind in my hair and the sails billowing in the breeze. It was an awesome sight to see the huge ships come into harbour this morning with sailors standing on the masts and in the rigging singing their hearts out. Enough of my romanticism!

The 3 year old didn’t appreciate the ships as much as he did the Keogh’s Pop-Up Farm down near the Dublin Bike stand on the North Quays. There was a tractor parked up on the path outside it. Not just any tractor either, but a vintage John Deere. This is as exciting as it gets when you’re 3 and tractor mad. He went quiet. Then when Tom Keogh (thank you so much if you’re reading by the way) lifted him up so I could get a picture of him “driving” the tractor he nearly burst with joy. If you are in at the Tall Ships Festival in Dublin City Centre over the next few days please do drop by and say hello, then sign the Potato Petition if you haven’t already.

To celebrate National Potato Day Keogh’s Farm have been generous enough to give me a hamper of spud-related goodies for you, my readers. See the picture below. It’s pretty fabulous.

In order to win the hamper tell me what your favourite way of eating potatoes is in the comment box below & please note you must be resident in the Republic of Ireland. The winner will be chosen by random selection and you have until Monday the 3rd September to enter.

Before you do that can you please sign the Potato Petition if you haven’t already?

In the meantime here is a lunchbox friendly salad which is actually made from a leftover ham dinner. The key is to put the dressing in the bottom of the box or jar before filling it and to layer it with the meat at the bottom, then the vegetables on top. There is no need to add seasoning as the ham should be salty enough. Don’t shake the box until just before serving (so keep upright in transit) and it is just as nice warm as it is cold!

Ingredients

• 7 cooked baby potatoes
• Handful fresh peas
• 7 cherry tomatoes
• 1 thick slice of homecooked ham or bacon
• 3 chives
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Sharp Knife
• Large sealable jar or lunchbox
• Teaspoon & tablespoon for measuring the dressing ingredients

Method

1. Measure the mustard, oil and cider vinegar into the bottom of the lunchbox or jar then stir with a teaspoon.
2. Chop the chives finely and add to the dressing in the bottom of the lunchbox.
3. Chop the meat into bitesize chunks and put down as the next layer.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes and freshly podded peas (although frozen is fine too). There is no need to cut the tomatoes at all they will stay fresher if they are whole.
5. Cut the potatoes roughly and layer on top.
6. Seal the box until ready to serve you can easily prepare this meal from the night before. It will keep for 2 days in the fridge providing your ingredients are fresh.

Please note: This blogpost is not sponsored. My opinions are my own and I am not paid to give them. The hamper has been sponsored for the benefit of my readers.