Savoury Bites for Cocktails Ham, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Cakes

This recipe for savoury mini cakes from Moulin de Calanquet is an excellent idea for your next cocktail or dinner party. These delicious cakes include ham, olives, and sundried tomatoes. The best part is that it’s a versatile recipe. You can vary the ingredients to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. Some other ideas include combinations such as lardons and artichoke cream cake, ratatouille and goat’s cheesecake, and pistou with smoked trout.

The Moulin du Calanquet is an olive mill four kilometres from Saint Remy de Provence in the Alpilles. It is a family story with Anne and Gilles Brun, sister and brother, at the helm. The Calanquet oil mill was inaugurated on February 8, 2001, and named after the lovely site on which it was built. Calanquet originates from the word “calan,” meaning a rock that provides shelter from the Mistral wind. The Moulin du Calanquet olive groves include these varieties: Aglandau, Salonenque, Grossane, Verdale, and Picholine.

Provence has a temperate Mediterranean climate, plenty of sunshine, and well-suited soil for crops such as grapes and olives. Olives have grown on the flanks of the Alpilles since the Greeks and Romans occupied Glanum. At the historic site, you can see an ancient olive-grinding stone. Although olive trees are hearty, they suffered from frosts in 1889 and 1956. The 1956 weather event forced the closure of the last operational olive mill in Saint Remy.

Mini Ham, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Cakes

Moulin de Calanquet

These savoury "cakes" are perfect for serving with cocktails. They are also great for picnics, hikes, and office lunches.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snacks, Starter Course

Cuisine French, Provencal

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• chef's knife (8-inch)
• cutting board set, bamboo
• whisk, 12-inch stainless steel
• mixing bowls, glass
• box grater
• mini muffin tin or small moulds

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 eggs preferably ultra-fresh organic
• 150 g flour
• 1 sachet yeast
• 100 mL olive oil Assemblage brand
• 125 mL milk, whole
• 100 g Gruyère cheese grated
• 200 g white ham
• 75 g plain green Aglandau olives
• 75 g plain black Grossane olives
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Cut the sun-dried tomatoes and olives into pieces.
• Whisk together the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Gradually stir in the Assemblage olive oil and hot milk.
• Add the grated Gruyère.
• Mix in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and ham.
• Grease small moulds (or mini muffin cups) and pour the mixture into them. Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

Notes

Moulin de Calanquet products:

• sun-dried tomatoes
• plain black olives of the Grossane variety
• plain green olives of the Aglandau variety
• olive oil of the Assemblage variety

Keyword Appetizer, Ham, Olives, Snacks, Sun-dried Tomatoes

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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).