Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets

Aug 25th, 2010 by Marilyn

Another late August, another juicy Summer Fest finale. For last year’s Tomato Week – which, I recall, also featured sweltering heat and flagging ambition – I cranked up the oven and rolled dough spirals and generally made things as hard as possible. Did I learn my lesson? You be the judge.

Better yet, let’s have my late grandmother be the judge. (Trust me, there was nothing she couldn’t judge.) Grandma Trudy enjoyed giving gifts – truly, she did. She chose my and my siblings’ birthday, holiday, graduation gifts with care. But the part she loved? I mean, lived for? That would be the actual giving of gifts, because immediately following the giving came the reciting of disclaimers.

If you don’t like it, it can go back. I like it. Don’t like the color? Gray is nice. I can get it in blue. Really, gray’s fine. If sweaters make you itch, it goes back. Sweaters are fine. So you know! Receipt is in the box.

I’m certain that if grandma were alive and food blogging, it would go something like this:

So, Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets. What? Sounds fancy. Sounds like a lot of fat. If you don’t want fat, don’t eat it.

Tomatoes, I like tomatoes. Not too many tomatoes – heartburn. You don’t have heartburn? Good for you! Eat the tomatoes.

Who frys in summer? My doctor says no frying. And if you don’t like cooking don’t cook! Just order in. Wait – I’ve got menus in the drawer.

So, they’re pretty. But they remind me of – what are those things, in the bread, with the lettuce and funny sauce, on Dempster Street, in the round bread? I don’t know. They remind me of those.

I have to say, these were not bad, not bad, might even be okay – but vey schmeer, the work. Who needs work in the kitchen? Your grandpa, he makes French toast in the kitchen. He’s crazy. If you don’t like work, this recipe can go back.

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Makes 35-50, depending on tomato size. Serve warm or at room temperature as an appetizer, on a brunch buffet, or as a very fancy sports snack.

CHERRY TOMATO & MAYTAG BLUE BEIGNETS

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/3 cup water

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten

small wedge Maytag Blue Cheese, about 5 oz. (Stilton would also work well)
35-50 cherry tomatoes, small size, in season (I used locally-grown Sun Golds)

vegetable oil, for frying
sea salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper, for rolling
chives or other herbs for garnish, chopped fine
————–
Make beignet dough: Place yeast in large bowl (if using stand mixer, bottom of mixer bowl) and pour 1/4 cup warm water over yeast to dissolve. Set aside until yeast is bubbling and activated. Place 1/3 cup water and vegetable shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20-25 seconds, until shortening begins to melt. Remove and stir until shortening is completely melted.

Sift flour with sugar, sea salt and white pepper. Add melted shortening, buttermilk, and beaten egg to activated yeast. Whisk (or use paddle attachment, on mixer) together to combine. Add 2 cups of the flour mixture (by hand with a wooden spoon, by mixer with paddle on low) until a wet, sticky mass forms. Gradually add remaining 2 cups of flour to form a shaggy but fully combined dough. NOTE: Humidity makes a difference. If dough looks wet and sticky, add more flour. If dough begins to look dry and resists mixing, stop adding flour.

Roll and form beignets: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Turn over once or twice to smooth – but don’t knead it. Roll dough into a large rectangle, 1/8 – 1/4″ thick. Using pastry or pizza wheel, mark 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ squares. Place one cherry tomato and a generous dab of blue cheese in center of each square. Pinch up corners of each square to meet, pressing edges together to seal, then roll beignet between palms to create a seamless ball. Place on a foil or parchment-lined sheet pan, and continue rolling filled beignets until done. NOTE: beignets may be formed up to one day in advance. Cover loosely with foil and store in refrigerator until ready to fry.

Frying beignets: Line a sheet pan or large plate with paper towels. Sprinkle the paper towels with an even, fine layer of sea salt, then large dashes of cayenne and white pepper, to taste.

In large pot or deep fryer, heat vegetable oil (at least a few inches) to approximately 360°. I recommend using a fry/candy thermometer to monitor oil temperature – too low and beignets will be heavy and greasy; too high and you’ll get dark outsides, raw insides. When oil is hot (test a small piece of dough – if it puffs to the top, it’s ready) drop the beignets into the pot one by one, working in small batches. Beignets should puff and brown quickly, about 1-2 minutes. If beignets do not rise and puff, slightly raise heat. If beignets burn too fast, slightly lower heat.

When beignets are evenly gold-brown, remove from oil and drain on “seasoned” paper towel-lined pan. When you have several warm beignets on pan, pick up edges of paper towels, allowing beignets to roll and coat with seasoning. Continue frying batches of beignets until done, rolling each batch in seasoning (add more salt/cayenne/white pepper if necessary).

Serving: serve warm or at room temperature, up to four hours after frying. May garnish with chopped chives or other herbs, as desired.

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Summer Fest is an annual online celebration of good food and great ideas, featuring food and garden bloggers from around the globe. Every week we highlight a different seasonal ingredient – corn, stone fruit, tomatoes – and our guest bloggers share great recipes, stories and tips. You can participate by visiting these terrific blogs and leaving links or comments – and if you’re feeling particularly inspired, you can contribute a post of your own. Drop by A Way to Garden for details on how join the party.

THIS WEEK’S LINKS: TOMATOES

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: Heirloom Tomato Tart with Parmesan Crust

Nicole at Pinch My Salt: What to do with slow-roasted tomatoes

Alison at Food2: Heirloom tomatoes

The FN Dish: Tyler’s Ultimate Tomato Salads

Margaret at A Way to Garden: More than one way to ripen a tomato

Gilded Fork: Celebrating summer lusciousness with a tomato dossier and recipes

Diane and Todd at White on Rice Couple: Sun-dried tomatoes (actually made in the sun!)

Paige at The Sister Project: 3 substantial, healthy, vegetarian tomatoey main dishes

Liz at the Cooking Channel: Easy Tomato Tart

Kelly at Just a Taste: Tomato Jam

Alexis at Food Network UK: The seven deadly tomato sins

Michelle at Healthy Eats: Top 10 Things to Do With Tomatoes

Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Roasted Green Salsa (green zebras and tomatillos), and how late August makes her hurt for New Mexico

Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Chunky Garden Gazpacho with Flowered Corn Tortillas and Melissa Clark’s Tomato Tarte Tatin

Judy at Over a Tuscan Stove: Tomatoes, the Italian Way

Caroline at the Wright Recipes: Savory Tomato Crumble

Tigress in a Pickle: Over 50 ways to preserve tomatoes in jars

Cate at Sweetnicks: Loaded Bowl of Deliciousness

Tags: beignets, disclaimers, maytag blue cheese, oh Grandma, summer fest, tomatoes

Posted in bread, recipes, summer

37 Responses to “Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets: The Disclaimers”

on 25 Aug 2010 at 6:14 am1Christina

I can relate with the story. Sometimes all I feel like doing is cooking, but other times I look at my tiny kitchen and all the dishes and I ask myself, “Why, exactly did I spend two hours of my life doing that?” But usually it’s worth it, and fortunately I have a very appreciative husband (who helps with dishes!)
Here is my recipe for stuffed tomatoes for this week’s Summer Fest:

http://flavorsings.blogspot.com/2010/08/summer-fest-stuffed-tomatoes.html
on 25 Aug 2010 at 7:32 am2The seven deadly tomato sins | UK Food Network Blog – Locally Sourced

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato and Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 25 Aug 2010 at 7:54 am312th Man

Huge fan of Maytag blue cheese. Then again, I love any food with a story behind it. Cheers!
on 25 Aug 2010 at 7:59 am4Adrienne

Holy cow. These look so fantastic I may just get over my fear of home-frying. Also I’ve got crazy prolific sungold plants in my garden and they are going… uh, crazy.
on 25 Aug 2010 at 8:52 am5Summer Fest: A Celebration of Slow-Roasted Tomatoes — Pinch My Salt

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:00 am6The FN Dish » Archive » Tyler’s Ultimate Tomato Salads

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:02 am7Healthy Eats » Archive » Summer Fest: Top Ten Things to Do With Tomatoes

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:06 am8Ranjani

I looove blue cheese, and looking at these is making me drool.
My contribution this week is roasted tomato soup with smoked paprika:
http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/roasted-tomato-soup-with-smoked-paprika.html
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:20 am9Chef Gwen

Beautiful photos, Marilyn. And very creative recipe, but I’d expect no less from you.
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:28 am10My So-Called Knife » Archive » The Elusive Tomato Consommé

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:30 am11Liam O'Malley

What a clever idea. It looks fantastic… and I love the grandmother. Hah.

I made a tomato consommé this week for summer fest: http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/the-elusive-tomato-consomme/
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:33 am12Sarah

Oh. My. Yum. Must go to the store now to buy blue cheese. This has inspired me! Thank you!

My contribution this week is two sauces for snacking and the pantry. First, a Charleston Creole Sauce that I’ve canned for winter eating:
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/08/creole-sauce/

And second, a fire-roasted pico de gallo that I can’t keep stocked in the house! I make a batch at least once a week each summer . . . I make mine lacto-fermented just by adding a little whey and it lasts (fresh! uncooked salsa!) in the fridge for months. If it doesn’t get eaten first!
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2008/06/fire-roasted-pico-de-gallo-2/

Thank you for hosting! I can’t wait to read all the other contributors!

Best,
Sarah
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:41 am13Susan Champlin

You are a genius. To say more would be superfluous. So of course I’ll say more. You are a cooking, writing, yarn-spinning, photo-taking deliciousness-producing genius. The end.
on 25 Aug 2010 at 9:54 am14Nicole

I wish I had these for breakfast! What an amazing idea!
on 25 Aug 2010 at 10:03 am15Kim

WOW. Those look GREAT.

Living in Italy for the past two years, I really gained a new appreciation of perfectly ripe tomatoes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat them—straight from my blog, Flexitarian Foodie!

Avocado-Tomato-Peach salad
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/07/savory-summer-fruit-salad.html

Basic Bruschetta
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/06/bruschetta-say-it-right-eat-it-often.html

Tomato and Cream Cheese Foccacia
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/focaccia-done-right.html

There are plenty more tomato recipes on Flexitarian Foodie, come take a look!
on 25 Aug 2010 at 10:12 am16Melissa

Lovely recipe… I think I’m a little like your Gran when it comes to disclaimers and giving gifts! Food Fest has been so much fun.

This week you’ll find an Heirloom Tomato Salad with Asparagus and Herb Creme Fraiche at It’s The Way She…
http://itsthewayshe.blogspot.com/2010/08/cant-resist-heirloom-summer-fest-2010.html
on 25 Aug 2010 at 11:07 am17Mom

That is a pretty good description of Grandma! The beignets look really great and yummy. Too much work for me. I just can’t get the knack of how to roll dough. I’ll leave it for you. Super post!!
on 25 Aug 2010 at 11:10 am18TexasDeb

Your grandmother has sometimes spoken through me – through my mouth, using my voice, directly to my family. Just thought you ought to know that.

These look so good – I’m pretty sure I gained a pound reading the recipe and I certainly broke a sweat just thinking about frying in our triple digit temperatures. That said – once it cools off I am all over these. I can’t imagine anything more delicious to serve my football watching couch potatoes.
on 25 Aug 2010 at 4:45 pm19Stephanie @ Dollop of Cream

Well, sometimes a bit of oil is good for us . . . especially when it helps create these yummy beignets!

My contribution to Summer Fest this week is a cheesy tomato and zucchini gratin, bubbling out of the oven, just waiting to be eaten for dinner . . .

http://www.dollopofcream.com/2010/08/summer-fest-tomato-zucchini-gratin_25.html
on 25 Aug 2010 at 5:21 pm20dahlila

I LOVE the disclaimers. Wonderful!
Too hot to cook anything here, but it looks delicious.
dahlila
on 25 Aug 2010 at 6:22 pm21maybelles mom

no disclaimer on this comment–this is a really enjoyable post.
on 25 Aug 2010 at 7:20 pm22miss whistle

Oh my goodness, these look delicioso! However, my pastry chef intern of a daughter has a question about the difference between beignets and doughnuts. She holds that beignets have to include cinnamon and that is what distinguishes them from their rivals. Can you confirm or deny?

Many thanks & love,

Miss W xx
on 25 Aug 2010 at 8:09 pm23Summerfest 2010: Loaded Bowl of Deliciousness | Food & Life

[...] Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets [...]
on 26 Aug 2010 at 12:54 am24Judy

Love the disclaimer– and will be making these for sure with the tomatoes from my little “orto”
on 26 Aug 2010 at 4:45 am25Mika

I like this recipe!! Nice idea to use blue cheese…I never thought to fry cherry tomatoes, but they seems very good…
on 26 Aug 2010 at 7:18 am26Caroline

thump, bounce, bang – That was me slamming my face into your kitchen window ) Dang these look good, I can almost smell them! Well instead of being a squirrel hurling attempting to hurl myself through your kitchen window, I may try this recipe – soon, before the tomatoes are gone. Lovely. I think your Grandma Trudy and my mother have much in common, except my mom “accidentally” leaves the price tag on most things. ) Lovely Marilyn! xo
on 26 Aug 2010 at 9:15 am27Jessica

I’ve never heard of Maytag blue cheese, let alone eaten it, but this sounds tasty. Loved the post about your Grandma. She sounds like she was a great grandmother.
on 26 Aug 2010 at 9:25 am28Marilyn

Dear Miss Whistle and Lovely Pastry Intern: True beignets (mine is a savory version) generally do not include spices in the dough, and are almost always finished with powdered sugar. Some – but not all – beignets are dusted with, or rolled in, cinnamon sugar. So the addition of cinnamon is delicious, but not required. The actual dough – beignets vs. donuts – differs only in leavening amounts and rise time. xo and good luck, young baker!
on 26 Aug 2010 at 9:27 am29Marilyn

Jessica: Maytag Blue is a gorgeous, cave-aged blue cheese made in Iowa. If you can find it, I highly recommend a taste.
http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/aspx/welcome.aspx
on 26 Aug 2010 at 7:22 pm30Melanie Cohavi

Oh, my.

So sorry I couldn’t pop over to taste, but my MUTHUR was here and then there was an inspection of the premises and well, I really could have USED a mouthful of bright, complex, melty, pops-in-your-mouth goodness, I stayed the course and ATE A SALAD.

Me, I’m not a fan of the salads. Too much lettuce, not enough melted cheese. My cousin Dvorah, though. There was a girl who could’ve used a few more salads.

xo
on 29 Aug 2010 at 10:31 am31Alisa

That looks seriously delicious! I cant wait to try it!
on 29 Aug 2010 at 1:04 pm32marla {family fresh cooking}

OMG…you are killing me with the look of these beignets. Sinfully perfect way to use tomatoes. Genius!
Here is my latest addition to Summer Fest:
Bacon Guacamole Salsa
http://su.pr/1kaInH
on 30 Aug 2010 at 10:50 am33Kathleen

I want to taste them right now! I made a couple recipes for Summer Fest this week.
http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/tomato-and-onion-tart/
http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/roasted-parmesan-tomatoes/
on 30 Aug 2010 at 4:09 pm34theresa/t does wool

you are the best…
love your story marilyn…
and I’ll take some of those beignets as well…look so good!!!!!!
on 31 Aug 2010 at 9:57 am35the boy

they should sell these in popcorn boxes at liberty hall’s concession stand!
on 03 Sep 2010 at 3:07 pm36Paula

what a great combination! Such a fantastic recipe
on 26 Aug 2012 at 9:11 pm37Alikhat

This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. One thing though: “vey schmear”? I think you mean, “Oy vey iz mir”, which means, “Oh woe is me” in Yiddish.