Assorted food tips from Scott Mason
By Scott Mason, Owner/Chef of Ketchum Grill where autumnal dishes are being served nightly. Be sure to check out Scott’s recipes for Lentil Soup and Rosemary Raisin Bread.
Slow it Down
Well it has been quite a summer and now we are well into autumn. With weeks this cool I feel like coccooning, not cooking. But alas, cooking is what I do. Autumn is my favorite time to cook. There is something about the cold night air that makes the best food all the more satisfing. I love the transition from the bounty of summers vegetables to the hearty slow cooked meals of winter. It seems that more and more Americans have lost the art of the slow cooked meal. I am amazed at the proliferation of quick meal cook books and fast food restaurants that our America has spawned. I took a trip to France, Italy and Spain this past June that has rekindled my desire for the the slow cooked meal.
You may be wondering if slow cooked means eating at 10pm. Of course a slow cooked meal can still be eaten at the normal hour and there may be a glass of wine and a little relaxation before the meal too. But to me slow cooking means starting the project this morning or last night even and enjoying the fruits tonight. All to often I find myself rushing to get dinner on the table. I’m sure this happens in your household too. The next time you find your self in a rush for the nightly meal… remember your mom and surely your grandmother did not rush the dinner. Try to remember our food is meant to be more than just sustinance. The farmer did not grow and take pride in her produce so that we could just pack our faces and not even taste the stuff. So my food tip of the week is this…at the dinner table slow down…taste…and enjoy.
Golden Beets
This past summer at the Grill was one full of all sorts of exciting creations. Out front in the dining room you may not have noticed because these creations were happening in the back of the house and if you are not the adventurous type you may not have even considered eating the new items. Among my favorite items we cooked up included this great warm almond crusted goat cheese with an apple citrus slaw. Lindsey, my youngest, swears by the combination of flavors and textures. Or perhaps those golden beets slow roasted with fresh herbs and then tossed with a fig vinaigrette, gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts… That beet salad served to rave reviews all summer is possibly the perfect salad…and I’m not even a huge beet fan. What I will say on their behalf is they are organically grown in california and are so sweet(like candy) and tasty and have none of the mess associated with red beets. If you are lucky enough to find golden beets in the market take the step and buy them. You won’t be disappointed.
Tomatoes: Now’s the Time
Autumn is here and the colors of the hills fading from the vibrant greens of summer to the yellow, golds and reds of season tell me that the garden I planted in May is past the point of no return. I’ve pulled the tomatoes and picked the apples and trimmed back the chives and tarragon. The tomatoes have not yet turned red except for three that made an attempt and were past yellow and orange and on thier way to ripe. Fortunately Dan Freeman, a local farmer has better luck with tomatoes than do I and has had all the fruit I could use right up to this week. Beautiful stuff too, with an array of hues to match the season. Actually I think this is the best time to buy tomatoes because the flavor has all summer to develop and the price has tempered the same as the summers heat. I’m looking forward to roasting the end of season tomatoes in the oven with herbs and onions. After a short puree in the food processor I’ll freeze the sauce in small batches for use when the flavorless tomatoes of January really get me down.
Tuesday Farmer’s Market
Last week at the farmers market was my first time there all summer. Work and the like just kept me away. I was astounded at the wide array of good things to buy. Tasty little green beans and assortment of heirloom potatoes from russian fingerlings,to yukon golds to purple peruvians. Anne picked up some delicious apples from Emmett. She can’t remember the name though and thinks it might be “acoona”…she may be confused though thinking of some Disney song. They are just great however and if you go this week don’t miss them. Last week Clarence Stillwell was crushing apples for cider samples and some great looking pies also made an appearance. All in all our little Tuesday farmers market has grown from a meager showing of dedicated growers to a respectable representaion of all the qualities that we love about Idaho. Get out there to the Tuesday market in Ketchum for the end of the season’s bounty before the snow flies.
Eat well, and I’ll see you in the kitchen!
If you have questions about these tips, ask them below.
About Scott Mason:
Scott and his wife Ann Mason have owned and operated the Ketchum Grill since 1991 and that little place in the mountains called the Ketchum Grill has pulled in more celebrities, foodies and mostly just regular folks than you‘d care shake your stick near. “I’m not sure why they come… I just cook it and they do” And it’s no wonder why. An award winning wine list, food tasty enough to eat every night and reasonable enough for an average Joe to play big spender. Snow Country Magazine chose Ketchum Grill as 1 of the “8 best Ski town restaurants” with “food rivaling Manhattan’s best.” Book reservations online or call 208-726-4660. For directions, click here.
And The American Dairy Counsel chose Scott to be one of their Premiere Chefs of America 1997 spokes people . “I love to cook, I love to eat. What more can I say”
As a simple analogy Scott relates trends in food and taste to trends in music… “Mozart and good wine here to stay…the Beatles and Organic Produce staying too…. Back Street Boys and Snail Caviar… only time will tell.”
Read more about Scott, Ann and the Ketchum Grill here.
