When Patricia Erviti came to Minnesota, she brought along some of her French recipes. One favorite is a hearty bread studded with bits of ham, cheese and green olives that she and her fiancé, Jim Witalka, serve when entertaining. The French call it a cake, but because it is savory rather than sweet, it seems much more like a bread to me. Jim and Patricia usually serve it as an appetizer with champagne, but it could also be the star of a brunch.
Variations of the recipe are popular throughout France. My daughter Alix, who lives in Nantes, makes a very similar bread. Jim and Patricia will be married in southwestern France next September, and, while the olive bread won't be part of the wedding dinner, it is sure to be offered to guests during the pre-wedding festivities. If there is any of the bread left, it is also very good toasted.
Anne Gillespie Lewis is a Minneapolis author.
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