Olive Loaf

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil spray
• 17 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 3 1/2 cups
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 12 ounces pitted, roughly chopped mixed olives, approximately 2 cups
• 1/3 cup store bought or homemade Tapenade, recipe follows
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a standard nonstick loaf pan with vegetable spray, line with parchment paper, and set aside.

Place flour and the baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds. Pour the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the olives and tapenade.

Whisk together the eggs, olive oil, milk, honey and salt. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine; do not mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, until the internal temperature is 210 degrees F, or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool on a rack before serving.

Tapenade:

1/2 pound pitted mixed olives

2 anchovy fillets, rinsed

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons capers

2 to 3 fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Thoroughly rinse the olives in cool water. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture becomes a coarse paste, approximately 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Yield: approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups