Scott and I spent the weekend away, and by the time we rolled back into town tonight, I was hungry, tired and totally weary of eating food prepared by others (admittedly, part of my fatigue came from the fact that we didn’t plan particularly well and ate more fast food than I typically eat in a month).

On the drive home, I took mental stock of my fridge and pantry, and cooked the meal you see above three times over in my head before we had even crossed back into Philadelphia.

Roasted purple potatoes (they’ve been kicking around for nearly a month now, so they were a little wrinkled but cooked up just fine), a little salad (I was praying that these greens, which I bought a week ago, hadn’t turned to sludge in the crisper, and aside from a few wilt-y pieces, were just fine — a testament to their freshness upon purchase) and a frittata made from Meadow Run Hill Farms eggs, some of the ham from last week’s pizza, a hunk of hard goat cheese from Hail Family Farms and some buying club onions and chard.

We were sitting down to eat within an hour of getting home, without calling for take-out or resorting to a heat and serve option. And most of that wasn’t active time, I de-stickered and washed all those jars I bought over the weekend while the potatoes roasted and the top of the frittata set up in the oven. Proof positive that eating local can be quick and simple, even in these dark days.

Related Posts:

• Dark Days: Veggie-stuffed Meatloaf and Roasted Sprouts
• Dark Days: Salmon, Beets and Local Greens
• Dark Days: Breakfast