Understanding Provence’s Olives and Green Olive Cake
Don’t let the word “cake” throw you off. This recipe is essentially a savoury quick bread. The ingredients can be changed depending on personal tastes and what you have on hand. This little cake is perfect with a glass of chilled rosé. Ginger and Nutmeg sampled this lovely appetizer at a B&B in the Var; sadly, it is no longer in operation.
What is the story of Provence’s olives from start to finish?
Ginger has long loved olives for their salty taste. Nutmeg’s appreciation for olives has been acquired in recent years, and certainly more so after spending time in Provence. The olive tree is probably as old as the earth and may have even been one of the plants in the “Garden of Eden.” Olives start as tiny white flowers in the spring and mature over the summer months until the fruit is finally harvested in late fall.
Enjoy this easy recipe.
Cake Aux Olives Vertes - Green Olive Cake
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder and soda in France use 1 package of levure
- 3/4 cup green olives pitted
- 3/4 cup smoked duck breast sliced
- 3/4 cup Gruyère cheese shredded
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Muscat or sherry
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter and lightly flour a loaf pan.
- In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the eggs and mix until well blended and no flour remains.
- Add the Muscat and olive oil and mix well.
- Add the olives, smoked duck, and cheese, and mix until well blended. The batter will be relatively thick.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, until brown on top and a tester knife comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack or one side of the loaf.
Notes
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2 Comments
Carolyne, I’m in France, about to head off to Auchan to look for the baking powder & soda. What’s it called in French?! Also, there are loads of white flours – any one in particular?
Many thanks,
Jan Burgess
Hi Jan: sorry for the delay in responding. I hope you sorted out your baking needs. In any case, here is the detail baking powder is called levure chimique or levure alsacienne. Typically, these are sold in small packages of 5 sachets (like sugar packs).
Baking soda is called bicarbonate de soude.
Yeast for bread is called levure traditionnelle or levure de boulanger. This is active-dry yeast, which needs to be proofed. You can also buy fresh yeast, it is sold in a small cube that looks like butter. Or levure instantanée which is instant yeast and does not require proofing.
Flour can be confusing too. Farine à gâteaux is cake flour and already contains levure.
Here is an excellent reference article by chef David Lebovitz https://www.davidlebovitz.com/american-baking/