thedailyspud.com

It’s a pity, of course, because the modest, workaday appearance of your average spud-on-the-street belies their superspud status – an endlessly versatile ingredient that doubles as a good source of vitamin C, potassium and fibre in a very neat nutritional package, and one that (you may just have noticed) grows well on our doorsteps. Potato chunks are tossed in a little olive oil and quickly roasted in a hot oven along with some sunflower seeds, and then added to chickpeas, broccoli, feta, tomatoes and spring onions. When the potato chunks are tender and turning golden – about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven – scatter the sunflower seeds over them and return to the oven for 3-4 minutes until toasted. You could add some black olives, say, or replace the broccoli with lightly steamed green beans; perhaps try using goats cheese, sundried tomatoes and basil instead of feta, cherry tomatoes and parsley; or replace the allspice with some smoked paprika and perhaps some chorizo to take it in a Spanish direction.

It was as cold a May as I can recall – except, perhaps, for that time during my college days when, on a day early in May, the theory of lolling around on warm grass was replaced by the practice of scurrying to avoid a brief, freak snow flurry. This year, in addition to the main event, where the various parish and schools winners will present the potatoes that they have grown for final judging, the organisers have added a spud dish competition – Práta Pláta (meaning potato plate) – and it will be my privilege to assist with the judging. For anyone in West Kerry this weekend, I wholeheartedly recommend getting yourself to Ballydavid on Sunday June 28th where, from 3pm, a specially erected marquee will host a program of events, including the Práta Pláta competition and Spud-off Mór final, along with music, kids entertainment and general carousing in the name of the spud. Home to the Comber Early potato, which was granted European PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status in 2012, the festival is is making its third appearance this year, though it’ll be my first time to attend.

Roscommon this coming Sunday and fancy getting some dirt under your fingernails, as well as the chance to participate – by way of digging potato beds – in an ongoing project which explores the very particular place that the spud occupies in our culture , then you should make your way to the Irish Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, where Deirdre O’Mahony will lead participants in making an “X” shaped lazy-bed on the Church Lawn at Strokestown House. This is just one of many initiatives being undertaken by Deirdre – artist, academic and lecturer at the Centre for Creative Arts, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology – as part of her ongoing SPUD project, which has featured collaborations between farmers, artists and art agencies. The event on Sunday may also be an opportunity for attendees to see old-school sod-turning skills, as Deirdre tells me that some members of the Loy association of Ireland, who foster the tradition of using the loy – an old style, narrow spade with a single footrest – will be there.

Their 225+ varieties of potato, including many rare, old varieties of Irish interest which, for many years, they have displayed and spoken about at events countrywide, have made for a wonderful educational resource, a living history and an important part of our food heritage. And ever-present, every year, has been a diverse display of potatoes – the rare, old and unusual spud collection that has been amassed, maintained and nurtured over a great many years by Dave Langford, and ably assisted in that task for the past 8 or 9 years by master vegetable grower Dermot Carey. Despite awards in 2010 from Euro-toques and again in 2014 from the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, which acknowledged the importance of the work done by Dave and Dermot in preserving so many heritage varieties of potato, and despite the wish expressed in giving those awards that a permanent home might be found for a collection of such significance, it is Dave’s back garden that has remained the most permanent home that the collection has ever had. Other locations have, for various reasons, been more transient, and though there was great optimism expressed last year when it appeared that the collection might find a new permanent home at Richard Corrigan’s Virginia Lodge in Cavan, I understand that didn’t, in the end, pan out.