Written by Anita
April 21, 2013
Sometimes you want to cook something a little more exciting than spaghetti with jarred Ragu—maybe you’re trying to impress a date, significant other, family member, or friend. Thanks to locally-based scratchDC, preparing a sophisticated and tasty meal can be both fast and easy.
Here’s how it works: you decide during the week which meal you want (you can even order on the same day). scratchDC will deliver a bundle (refrigeration needed) to your home or office that afternoon/evening (current delivery areas include most of DC, Arlington, and Alexandria). Take it home, unpack the locally sourced organic ingredients, follow the step-by-step instructions, and—voila—you have a homemade meal that is sure to impress! Not an experienced cook? No worries—each menu tells you the basic kitchen equipment required and scratchDC will even help to answer any questions that may arise.
We recently tried a scratchDC bundle for ourselves: chicken shawarma wraps with a creamy homemade garlic lemon aioli and fattoush salad blended with sumac dressing. The bundle was beautifully packaged in a brown cardboard box tied with twine and included everything needed (including relatively basic items, like aluminum foil and vegetable oil). The directions were very easy to follow and the dish came out beautifully—the chicken was moist and perfectly seasoned and the salad was crisp and zesty. Most of scratchDC’s fresh produce and herbs come from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative; beef, pork, lamb, and duck mostly come from Fells Point Meats; and poultry comes primarily from Pennsylvania family farms via Murray’s Chicken.
Menus are updated each Friday morning, and bundles (which feed two people generously) average about $25, with most falling in the $22 to $28 range. There is at least one vegetarian or vegan bundle each week, and scratchDC adds at least a couple of new items to the lineup every week. (Calorie information is available, and scratchDC is working to develop additional gluten-free and special diet options.) Each bundle includes a ‘bonus’ package of cookie dough (we got chocolate chip) to make your own hot and fresh out of the oven!
Feeling romantic? You can upgrade your bundle with add-ones like the “romance package” (tea light candles and fresh flowers) or chocolate fondue (chocolate raspberry dipping sauce with fresh fruit).
Want to cook from scratch for yourself? You can check out this week’s menu—which includes items such as rosemary balsamic flank steak with creamy redskin mashed potatoes and a tomato and blue cheese salad and jerk chicken with pineapple avocado salsa, jalapeno lime rice, and sour cream—here. Use promo code “gregslistdc” to save a little scratch (15 percent off your first order!) And if you post a particularly appetizing photo of your creation to Facebook Twitter, or Yelp, you could win half off your next order. scratchDC will even give you a coupon code that you can share with your friends to earn free bundles. And stay tuned to GregsListDC for information on scratchDC’s upcoming happy hours!