By Memorial Day. The cemetery with Mom and Dad. The flowers from the garden — irises this year, which bloom in late May in the good years. Dad moved more slowly than last year on the walk from the gate to the family plot. He used the fence rail for support on the return. I walked alongside him and didn't offer my arm because he didn't ask for it and asking would have changed something. When we got back to the truck he said: Good irises this year. I said they were. We drove home.
The drive to Salina and back is sitting in me in a way that the first visit didn't quite. The first time was about obligation — I owed the visit, I owed the standing at the grave, I owed the acknowledgment to Derek and to myself. The second time was something else. Not obligation. Choice. I went because I wanted to go, because the visit means something to me now that is separate from the guilt it used to be attached to. I went, and I stood there, and I talked to him, and it was the right thing to do because I wanted to do it. That difference between obligation and want is one of the things that's changed in the therapy. It doesn't sound large. It is.
I've been writing a piece about the two Salina visits. Not posting it yet. Not sure I'll post it. Some writing is the process and some is the product and I don't always know which one I'm doing until I'm done. This is the process kind, probably. I'm using it to understand what happened, not to explain it to anyone.
Made Memorial Day potato salad and grilled steaks. The same meal I make most Memorial Days. Some holidays are defined by the food and the food is most correct when it doesn't try to be interesting.
Some years the food is the anchor — the thing that holds the day in place when everything else is harder to name. The potato salad and the steaks aren’t there to be impressive; they’re there because they’re always there, and that consistency is its own kind of meaning. These Breakfast Spuds are in the same spirit: straightforward, honest, and most correct when they don’t try to be anything other than what they are.
Breakfast Spuds
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onion, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Par-cook the potatoes. Place diced potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for 5–6 minutes, until just barely fork-tender. Drain and pat dry.
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil or butter in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Crisp the potatoes. Add the par-cooked potatoes to the skillet in a single layer. Season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook without stirring for 4–5 minutes, until a golden crust forms on the bottom, then stir and continue cooking another 4–5 minutes until browned on all sides.
- Add the eggs. Make 4 small wells in the potato mixture. Crack one egg into each well. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook for 4–5 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks are still slightly soft, or to your preferred doneness.
- Finish and serve. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top and cover for 1 minute to melt. Garnish with chives or green onion if using. Serve directly from the skillet.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 360 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 480mg