LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Showing the Love for Olives in this Cheesy Beer Bread


Sharp cheddar-olive beer bread Photo Susie Iventosch

The 6th Annual Orinda Olive Festival is just around the corner, scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4. Although there won't be a recipe contest this year, there will be cooking demonstrations, olive oil tasting, food, games and crafts for the whole family. In addition, a delightful assortment of products and services will be raffled off again this year. The festival celebrates the 130-year-old Mission olive groves at the historic Wagner Ranch and proceeds benefit the Wagner Ranch Nature Area.

In honor of the upcoming festival, and because my family really does love olives, I made this sharp cheddar-olive beer bread for the occasion. The sliced green olives packaged by Napoleon, are perfect for this recipe and have the taste of a Mediterranean cracked green olive. Kalamata and feta would make a nice rendition of the beer bread, too. And, I should mention, this is perhaps the easiest bread on earth to make from scratch.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

One 12-ounce bottle of beer (I used Coors Light)

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup Napoleon sliced green olives (or any olives you like), divided

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir in half the grated cheddar and half the olives. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour beer into the well. It will foam up, so don't worry. Slowly work the beer into the dry ingredients, until well incorporated. The dough will be quite stiff.

Turn dough out into a greased or sprayed 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining olives and cheese evenly over the top of the dough.

Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

The 6th Annual Olive Festival will be held Oct. 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wagner Ranch Nature Area, 350 Camino Pablo, Orinda.

For more information, please visit: http://fwrna.org/

Napoleon brand olives are sold at most grocery stores.