Helen Melser's The Olive Tree in My Kitchen cookbook is a homage to the humble yet versatile olive tree.
Says Helen of this recipe: "I was privileged to visit Syria just before the war started. During this time I experienced the most amazing generosity from the families I stayed with. This recipe is based on one I learned while helping out in a friend's mother's kitchen."
Ingredients
2 cups | whole black or green olives |
1 | onion, peeled and finely chopped |
2–3 cloves | garlic, finely chopped |
Drizzle | oil, for frying |
2½ cups | plain flour |
2 tsp | baking powder |
3 | eggs, beaten |
¾ cup | extra virgin olive oil |
1 cup | plain yoghurt |
4–6 | sundried tomatoes, chopped |
1 | red capsicum, roasted and chopped, can be freshly roasted or from a jar |
1 tsp | chilli flakes, or to taste |
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Line and grease a 20–22 cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
- Pit the olives, then cut in half lengthways and set aside.
- Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft, then set aside to cool.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and stir in the oil, yoghurt, sun-dried tomatoes, capsicum, the cooled onion mix and the olives. Gently combine the egg mix into the flour. Do not over-mix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Set aside to cool on a cake rack before removing from the tin and cutting.
Edited extract from The Olive Tree in My Kitchen by Helen Melser. Photography by Miggs Ishbel McTaylor. Published by Bateman Books. RRP $34.99