Feta Dill Loaf Recipe

This loaf is based on a popular French recipe given to me by a dear friend. She served warm-from-the-oven loaves at a bon voyage picnic and they were quickly devoured. The loaf could be described as a cross between a frittata and quick bread – very eggy and moist.

Makes one loaf

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 milk
2 handfuls of dill
1 handful of parsley
1 cup grated Swiss (or other mild) cheese [in Europe this would be Emmental]
8 ounces feta cheese cubed
handful of shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease or grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Always line the loaf pan with a piece of parchment or wax paper to make it easy to remove the loaf when cooled.
2. In a large bowl mix flour and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl beat eggs and add milk and olive oil. Add dill and parsley (you can substitute whichever herbs you like).
4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour. Combine. Add Swiss and feta cheese until batter is evenly mixed.
5. Pour batter into a loaf pan and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Don’t overbake or it will be dry.

Let the loaf cool slightly before serving. It reheats well in the microwave or oven. My friend says you can experiment with this recipe and use seasonal cheeses and herbs. She suggests sun dried tomatoes/capers/basil, Roquefort/pears/walnuts and black and green olives as lovely combinations.