This recipe is originally from Robert Vergier, the most famous chef from the Provence, who sadly passed away in 2017. His Michelin star restaurant in Mougins still exists but this aromatic savory pie is unfortunately no more on the menu. Delicious as an appetizer with an aperitif or as an antipasto, I make it at least once a year. When i recently made it for a group of Italian women, they kept asking me for the recipe, so it must be good. If possible use greek olives, which usually only sell with pits, so that's an extra quarter of an hour's work. Since I can't find Greek olives in Italy I use the spicy Taggia olives from LIguria.
The area along the Italian border with France traditionally shares many dishes with the Ligurian cuisine. Not strange since this part of France was back and forth under Italian or French rule and Italian was spoken in Nice until the year 1861. The climate is very similar and allows many crops of the same type, such as olive trees, flowers and basil.
