Saint Patrick’s Day always feels to me like the perfect way to celebrate that last moment before the winter farm market bids takes its leave and begins exploding with spring produce. It’s a meal filled with root vegetables, cabbage and slow cured, slow cooked meat. Besides, a holiday like this is everything I love about food - the opportunity to create some joy and sit down at a table to share it.

Irish soda bread’s humble beginnings welcome the addition of butter and an egg, caraway seeds and currant, transforming into a rich, flavorful loaf, best served slathered with butter. Irish of course. Best of all? This will be ready to eat in under an hour with no proofing.