In the JNF Kitchen: Stern Winery’s white fish ceviche with fruit

This recipe originally appeared in the summer 2016 issue of our Byachad Magazine. You can read the full issue here.

In 2004, Johnny Stern, a Brazilian born immigrant who moved to Israel with his family at the age of 17, made the bold decision to open his own winery, Stern Winery. He realized his true calling lay with the vines of his winery, located in Kibbutz Tuval, a picturesque community in the hills of the Western Galilee. Before realizing this dream, however, he lived a dual life for nearly six years: as a sales manager for a company manufacturing industrial adhesives, machinery oil, and metal treatments, and as an artisanal wine producer in Israel’s budding boutique wine industry.

From the JNF Kitchen: Johnny Stern's stuffed chicken from Israel

Sukkot in Israel! A comprehensive celebration guide

In the JNF Kitchen: Strawberry spinach salad from Israel's Galilee

In the JNF Kitchen: Watermelon gazpacho with fresh fish tartar

This summery recipe comes from Avichai and Idan of Yanivichi Bistro, nestled in the eucalyptus trees on Moshav Bustan HaGalil, just a few minutes drive from Akko. Set inside a renovated structure from 1948, previously the Moshav’s first dairy compound, and named after the Moshav’s first milkman, the restaurant is the place to go to for fusion cooking that combines the vibe of Tel Aviv with Galilean flavors and local plates alongside dishes imported from Italy and France.

In the JNF Kitchen: Fish wrapped in dough

Fish in dough, or salt crust.

For the next few weeks, our #RecipeOfTheWeek series will host some fantastic Israeli chefs. These culinary masters are slated for the itinerary of the amazing JNF Culinary, Wine and Music Tour this June. Learn more about this cultural experience here. 

This recipe comes from Erez Komarovsky, a chef and baker. Afar described him as "the first contemporary baker to introduce artisanal bread to Israel" and he's considered to be one of the leading cooks who defined Israeli cuisine in the late '80s and '90s.

In the JNF Kitchen: From Israeli ice cream shop Buza, fresh fruit sorbet

Ice cream shop Buza in Israel's Western Galilee has graced us with this delightful recipe for prickly pear or strawberry sorbet -- the flavor is up to you! 

Buza, the Arabic word for ice cream, is co-owned and operated by Alaa Sweetat, a local Muslim, and Adam Ziv, a Jew from Kibbutz Sasa. Their ice cream is Italian-inspired and produced from the finest ingredients, 100 percent natural. Their main store is located in the center of Maalot-Tarshicha, a Jewish-Arab town in the culturally diverse Western Galilee. Friends Sweetat and Ziv are models for co-existence. What brings people together if not ice cream?!

In the JNF Kitchen: Super easy tahini from Israel, with a twist

Edna and one of her beloved goats.

This week's recipe is as simple, yet as delicious, as can be. 

It comes from Edna Hefer of Meshek Hefer (Hefer Farm), a ranch located in Abirim in Israel's Western Galilee. The family-owned and family-run farm operates based on principles of self sufficiency, with very few hired employees, and guests pitching in by feeding and milking the farm animals. 

The farm has a dairy that makes goat milk products under the name Edna’s Cheeses. The cheese, along with other local goods such as olive oil, olives, and unique wines from nearby boutique wineries, can be purchased by taking it straight out of the refrigerator and putting money right into the register. 

In the JNF Kitchen: Stuffed grape leaves and zucchinis

This recipe for stuffed grape leaves and zucchinis, a classic Galilean dish, is brought to us by Paul Nirens of Galileat, which organizes unique cooking and hospitality experiences. Four or five variations of this recipe, reflecting differences between regions and home cooks in the Galilee, will appear in Nirens' new recipe book, the Galilean Kitchen. He is currently raising funds on Indiegogo for the project, which will showcase local, authentic dishes as well as the stories behind the women who create them, those who offer home-cooking classes as part of Galileat. Learn more about the book here.

How one home cooking business empowers Galilee women

Home cooking lessons from local women, thanks to Galileat. 

By Paul Nirens

Many people get up in the morning and sigh to themselves, not particularly enthusiastically, "Another day of work ahead of me." I get up and say, "Wow, I can’t wait for another day at work." That’s because over these past four years I’ve been lucky enough to run Galileat, which organizes unique cooking workshops, hospitality, and culinary experiences in the homes of my Druze, Muslim, Christian, and Bedouin neighbors here in the Galilee. I simply love what I do.

In the JNF Kitchen: Oxalis soup from an authentic Georgian kitchen

The Oxalis flower, for which this dish is named. 

This week's #RecipeOfTheWeek features a delicious Georgian delicacy found at Shota.

If you're searching for a special culinary experience, look no further than Shota in the Western Galilee. Shota serves Georgian cuisine in a brightly colored restaurant that plays upbeat music and serves dishes steeped in Georgian tradition. On your plate you'll find fresh salads; pastries such as khachapuri filled with meat or cheese; khinkali, or Georgian dumplings; meat and vegetable stews; and Georgian wine, beer, and cocktails.

In the JNF Kitchen: Festive salad with goat cheese bruschetta

Yummy bruschetta from Alto Dairy in Israel's north. Just add salad.

This #RecipeOfTheWeek comes from Ariel Mazan, former kibbutz dairy farmer and owner of Alto Dairy in Israel's Western Galilee. Alto is owned and operated by the Mazan family and inspired by Ariel's Mazan's passion for cheese making. 

As Times of Israel said, "This family-run outfit is 'a little fanatic' about offering goat-only products." In the best possible way, of course. The dairy develops and produces a unique variety of cheese from the finest Galilean goat milk using traditional methods. When visiting Alto, travelers can stop by a boutique store and a coffee bar/restaurant serving a rich dairy menu including breakfast and lunch.

Check out all the ways you can savor Sukkot with JNF

HaShomer HaChadash's annual Sukkot harvest festival.

This Sunday, October 23, the holiday of Sukkot begins at sundown, ushering in a week of festivities in Israel. Here's a comprehensive list of JNF tours, as well as partners open during the week. If you're traveling in Israel, come tiyul and celebrate with us!

In the JNF Kitchen: Hagit's sweet challah

Beautiful round challahs just in time for Rosh Hashanah.

In the JNF Kitchen: Fall BBQ braised veal spareribs

In the JNF Kitchen: Adelina's ceviche with avocado garnish

In the JNF Kitchen: Refreshing raw chocolate-coconut mousse cake

An awe-inspiring tenth trip to Israel, this time as a JNFuture volunteer

The author threshes wheat at LOTEM's ecological farm during his JNFuture Volunteer Vacation in Israel.  

JNFuture Volunteer Vacation brings Jewish young adults to Israel for a week to volunteer and tour the country. Here, Steve Postal of Washington D.C., who participated in the JVV, that ended earlier this month, shares his impressions of the experience. The next JNFuture Volunteer Vacation takes place from December 25 of this year though January 1, 2017. It's not too early to plan ahead!  

By Steve Postal 

To quote the great Israeli rock band Mashina, אין מקום אחר, there is no other place. 

This was my tenth trip to Israel (my second with JNF), but unique for me because it focused on the north.

The north's stunning beauty left me in awe. The grottos of Rosh Hanikra; Israel’s first accessible nature trail in Nachal Hashofet (in partnership with LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible); and the lush green hills of the Western Galilee complimented the eclectic rooftops of Jerusalem’s Old City and the white sand beaches of Tel Aviv we saw later on the tour. We stayed in the beautiful Kibbutz NirEtzion, with a night sky so crisp you could see three planets at once (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). Yes, this was verified by a smartphone app!

In the JNF Kitchen: Shavuot savory cheese quiche from northern Israel

Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people, begins Saturday, June 11 at sundown. Tradition holds, for several reasons, that we eat dairy food over the chag, appropriately bestowing Shavuot with the nickname "the cheesecake holiday."

In the JNF Kitchen: Red snapper sashimi with tabouleh

Paul Nirens

This red snapper sashimi with tabouleh is the perfect dish to eat al fresco for a late-spring dinner. This #RecipeOfTheWeek comes from Aluma, a Galilean Bistro owned by Alaa Sweetat in Maalot-Tarshicha, a joint Jewish-Arab municipality in the Galilee. It's brought to us via GallilEat owner Paul Nirens, who organizes culinary experiences and cooking workshops in the Galilee region. 

Paul, a former chef who trained at one of Israel's leading culinary schools, has lived in the rural Galilee region for almost 30 years. He is a member of JNF partner organization Western Galilee Now, a consortium of small businesses in the region. The Galilee is a key focus of JNF's Go North development initiative.

Through GalilEat, Paul shares his passion for Galilean village culture and traditional food preparation with Israeli tourists and visitors from overseas. A GalilEat adventure allows an authentic, in-depth view of the real Israel.