French with Nicole

There are many variations of this recipe but I recently enjoyed this particularly delicious savoury cake at my sister in law's and she has generously shared her recipe. Merci Francoise! 6 to 8 portions Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes  Ingredients 2 red onions diced 3 cloves of garlic crushed  2 tbsp of olive oil 3 courgettes cut in large dice 1 chicken stock cube 10 cl of white wine tsp of flour 4 eggs 1 tsp of chopped parsley  Salt and Pepper Preparation Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan oven) Warm the oil in a frying pan Sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned Add the courgettes Cook until lightly brown and nearly soft Crumble the stock cube Add the white wine Season, stir and take off the heat to cool In a mixing bowl beat the eggs, flour and parsley Add the cooled courgette mixture Butter and flour a rectangle cake tin Pour in the cake mixture Bake for 45 minutes Turn onto a serving platter, slice and enjoy My tips Can be eaten hot or cold Use

Savoury cakes are a popular aperitif across France, served with drinks before a meal. They can either be baked as a loaf and sliced or as individual mini cakes, in a range of shapes. The concept of a savoury cake is becoming increasing popular here in the UK too, particularly as an 'on-the-go' breakfast or picnic dish. So why not give it a try? Ingredients 100ml  olive oil  , plus extra for greasing 250g  asparagus spears  , each cut into 3 pieces 200g  self-raising flour 1 tbsp  thyme leaves 3  large eggs  , lightly beaten 100ml  milk handful pitted black olives 100g sundried tomatoes , roughly chopped 100g  gruyère  or Beaufort, grated Method STEP 1 Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Oil and line the base of a loaf tin (approx 22 x 10 x 5cm) with baking paper. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water for 2 mins, drain, then cool quickly under cold running water. Pat dry. STEP 2 Mix the flour and thyme with seasoning in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add the e