Goat Cheese, Bacon and Olive Quick Bread

     I suggest you make several loaves of this Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Olive Quick Bread, and keep in your freezer.  That's what I'm doing.  It is such a great savory bread/cake to have on hand!  I like serving it in the late afternoon with a glass of chilled white wine.  If storing in the freezer, defrost and reheat in oven before serving.  This bread (which reminds me of a French weekend savory cake) will be a regular on the patio this summer!

+ Savory Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Olive Quick Bread

  Recipe by David Lebovitz | February 2016 Food & Wine

• 6 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 6 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons minced  thyme leaves
1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with waxed or parchment paper.  In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crispy,  8-10 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.
2.  In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, olive oil, and mustard.  Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.  Fold in the goat cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olives, bacon, scallions, chile and thyme.  Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface.
3.  Bake the bread until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the loaf to loosen it from the pan.  Invert onto a rack and cool completely. 

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