A recent Haaretz travel article focuses on the NItzana region, which is where three of our producers are based. See the Haaretz article for a comprehensive list of the sights in this beautiful part of the Negev, and for descriptions about Chami (they spell it Hemi) Zemach and Edward, our honey producer. See our Visit the Farms section for more ideas for Negev Travel.

From the article:

Tomato jam in Kadesh Barnea

Inside enormous vats, cherry tomatoes destined for jam are bubbling, strips of onion are swirling in red wine and sumac, and the pot of Thai-style sauce gives off a pungent aroma of ginger, hot peppers and cilantro. Oksana and Hemi Tzemah’s jam, sauce and spread business was inspired by the abundance of tomatoes that grow in the area. Four years after its modest beginning in their home kitchen, a small factory now sits at the entrance to their community, but the production methods are still home-style. They make 27 different products here, all of them Oksana’s creations, and for the holidays they add special products like haroset, and apples or dates prepared with Silan date honey and Balsamic vinegar. Hemi, the guiding force behind the festivities, conducts group tours that must be scheduled beforehand. You can also make advance reservations for wonderful picnics. Kesem Hamidbar, Kadesh Barnea, 052-2756225

Honey from desert flowers

When Eduard Filipo gets a backache, he places three or four bees on the painful spot, and lets the numbing power of the stingers do the job. Filipo used to roam with his beehives over the Russian steppes. When he immigrated and settled in Kemehin, he caught a wild swarm that had turned an abandoned sofa into its home and began building his apiaries. It’s not easy to maintain beehives in an arid desert region, but the large eucalyptus groves planted near Kadesh Barnea and the desert flowers provide enough nectar for the whole year.

From the rosemary and the desert broom plants, he collects a brown honey; from the yellow broom, he produces a light honey; and in the fall he collects honey produced by the blossoms of the tamarisk, and another variety that comes from the eucalyptus. Beit Hadvash Vehadvora, Kadesh Barnea, 052-899-1807

…and although we don’t import his cheeses, Dror is good friend of Doron (our olive grower), and his cheeses are out of this world.

Organic cheeses

The assortment of junk on view at Mitzpeh Azuz – trailers and buses that were turned into homes, the carcasses of old tractors and a rickety-looking water tower – is reminiscent of the scenery in old Westerns. The few times we stayed here, we saw that, unfortunately, the “law of small communities” holds true here as well: The smaller the place, the more numerous the disputes – regardless of the beautiful wilderness of sandy dunes all around.

When we arrived this time, Celia and Dror Farida were standing next to the wooden stakes of the goat pen, mixing cement and building their new cheese shop all by themselves. Life in the wilderness requires people to gain a certain expertise in every sort of craft. This year, because of the paucity of milk, due to a spate of thefts of goats, there are only softer items for sale. It is a small but marvelous selection: a yogurt of goat’s milk and sage that melts in your mouth; smooth labaneh with olive oil; and a splendid soft cheese seasoned with garlic and parsley. Tzon Be’erotayim Banegev, Ezuz, 08-655-5889

When my husband Yoni and I moved to our farm near Sde Boker, we didn’t know how our products would fare in the desert earth, or even whether they would damage the land and the surrounding areas. We also faced the obvious problem of water shortage, a major issue throughout all Israel and the Middle East.

We had planned to raise camels here in the desert. They can live pretty much anywhere and don’t need much water. But growing camels couldn’t sustain us and we thought about expanding our product base.

That’s when we came upon the fateful issue of National Geographic. In a feature article, there was an interview with Professor Ayalin Salwi on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava, near the Jordanian border. The professor talked about the qualities and virtues of the argan tree. Our interest was piqued when we read that the argan needs very little water to survive.

We checked it out a bit learned that the argan tree has biblical roots. It was grown in the time of King Solomon, who used argan to build furniture and musical instruments for the Temple in Jerusalem.

We started out buying two mature trees, just to see if the weather and the earth would be suitable. Soon we bought four more. Then we planted Moroccon argan nuts, and today we have about 110 argan trees in our orchard–all different ages, some small, some large. The older ones have already achieved an impressive yield.

Here in the desert, we believe our surroundings dictate the pace of life and tell us what to grow. We start small, use plenty of trial and error, and if we see something works, we run with it.

Native to Morocco, the tree’s nuts yield a fine North African argan oil. We started the experiment about six years ago, but we’re not the first to try it–Professor Ayalin beat us to it, but her trees were for research purposes only. Now argan trees are grown on several farms around Israel.

Argan oil is used as an additive in different creams and lotions, and also for hair and nail products. It has a plethora of healing and medical uses, long a tradition in Morocco but slowly spreading throughout the western world. Argan oil is also known to combat high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, treat burns, and fight skin aging by renewing skin layers.

The oil, which is sold only in small quantities, carries a reddish hue (caused when the nuts are lightly roasted) and is useful for cooking, spicing, salad dressings, and marinades. Some people add a few drops to couscous or rice before serving, lending the dish a rich nutty taste and aroma.

We’re still only producing argan oil on a very small scale, but it’s just another example of the way we live our lives here in the desert: we see something we like, so we try it out. Maybe it pans out, maybe not. So far, so good.

Til next time,

Orly

Why not make iced tea with the loose herbal tea from the April deliveries? It’s easy to brew and hits the spot after a long day at the office or out on the deck for a summer BBQ. Here are some suggested proportions and directions for brewing a pitcher-sized helping of iced tea with loose leaves:
–Boil 4 cups water
–Add 3 tablespoons loose herbal tea, stir, let steep 5-7 minutes
–Strain tea leaves
–Add another 4 cups of chilled water or ice. Add sugar if desired
–Let chill in refrigerator

Who wants hot cereal or eggs for a summer breakfast? Try a cool parfait using some Negev Nectars honey and jam. What could be a better way to start off the day?
–Start with a layer of granola or cereal of your preference
–Top with a layer of yogurt of your choice (plain Greek yogurt works extremely well in this dish!)
–Add a tablespoon or so of Negev Nectars honey
–Add another layer of granola and yogurt
–Layer with one tablespoon of Negev Nectars apricot jam
–Finish off with some fresh summer berries and enjoy

Olive oil has always been a traditional base for delicious and healthy salad dressing, but now’s a great time to take advantage of high-quality summer produce available in your area. Try something new in your summer salad: juicy strawberries, perhaps, or fresh veggies from your garden. Spruce up any green salad with a light dressing made from Negev Nectars Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and tangy balsamic vinegar.

Lastly, if you’re a long-time shareholder and you’ve got some nana (mint) left over from our very first shipment, now’s a great time to use it to make a refreshing jug of limonana, Israel’s signature lemonade-with-mint summer delight. Mix fresh juice from 4 lemons along with 3 cups water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and a small handful of nana. Let cool and serve poolside!

Mira Schwartz is a Negev Nectars member who has been farming in the northeastern United States for the past few years. She recently found herself learning and working on Kibbutz Neot Smadar, a Negev Nectars partner farm, as part of a five-month sustainable farming certification program in Israel.

Mira’s story is emblematic of everything we strive to achieve at Negev Nectars: she managed to develop her own connection between Negev farmer and American consumer. Mira was fortunate enough to witness the direct impact of Negev Nectars investment in Israel’s desert, and we truly hope and believe to see many more experiences like hers in the future.

Below, Mira looks back fondly on her time spent at Kibbutz Neot Smadar.

Approaching the kibbutz from a distance, the bright blue mud-brick houses of the founding families were the first sights I noticed, particularly the intricate tile-work and detailed designs for which Neot Smadar could become famous. The backdrop of desert mountains was punctuated by hundreds of date trees which further lead into various orchards of nectarines, peaches, plums, citrus, nuts and many more trees that I cannot remember. A true fruit paradise.

The final and most striking image that stays with me is the pink and blue crafts palace. This is a palace built by the people, for the people. It’s probably one of a kind, certainly in design but also in function. The crafts shop, as the kibbutzniks call it, is surrounded by gigantic, multi-colored rose bushes that are just starting to climb up their arching trellises. At first impression, some of the architecture at Kibbutz Neot Smadar reminded me of the images I have of Doctor Seuss picture books I read as a kid.
But Neot Smadar is so much more than a fairy tale. The kibbutz isn’t only this semi-fantastical Seussian colony, it’s also a fully functioning agricultural and food processing center. It takes than a week to get used to this exotic setting, but it only takes a few days to feel at ease with the very introspective and hard working community.

One fateful evening, after another silent meal (all the meals are eaten in silence), I was invited to the community tea party. On a farm that grows so many herbs, we spend the better part of any day drinking tea, so I was confused. When I arrived to see tables lined with boxes of dried herbs, and I learned that the activity planned was to remove the herbs from their stems, I discovered that this was in fact a tea packing party for Neot Smadar’s herbal tea blends. I suspected we were preparing the teas for shipment to the States and distribution to all Negev Nectars members.

A few weeks later, in Jerusalem, I ran into Marvin Israelow outside of Yad Vashem (what a perfect place to run into a familiar face and receive a warm hug from home). I told him about my time at Neot Smadar and he confirmed that the tea I helped package was in fact for the Negev Nectars order. In retrospect, this was so much more than a mere coincidence; it represented the kind of otherworldly synchronistic energy that often takes place in Israel and will travel back to the States to infuse the Neot Smadar tea that all of us Negev Nectars members will enjoy.