Goat Cheese at Hazorea

Kibbutzim are not usually known for gourmet cuisine. The Kibbutz chader ochel daily produces mass quantities of food for its members, which typically results in a buffet the common meat dishes with an assortment of salatim on the side. I have a soft spot in my heart for this kind of eating, where every meal exemplifies the kind of community living that is at its best on Kibbutz. That being said, when I trekked up north last weekend to Kibbutz Hazorea, I was blown away by the food surprises Hazorea has to offer.

At the base of Hazorea lies a magical little wood shack filled with goat cheese. That was a ridiculous sentence to write, but it's true.

Inside the doors of "Goat Cheese from Hazorea", which is only open on Saturdays, hides the freshest bread, jam, and goat cheese you can dream of. Hard cheeses, soft cheeses with spices, cheese spreads... everything. The bread is fluffy, thick, and soft; filled with olives, nuts or seeds. Everything tastes like it was made that morning, as though the food was made just for me to come and enjoy.









There is one woman in charge, and after letting you sample every type of cheese imaginable, she will lovingly construct you a sandwich. After selecting the bread, you can choose whichever and however many cheeses your heart desires (I went with one hard cheese made with wine and a chive filled soft cheese). Then, you can choose between pesto, olive spread, and sundried tomato spread (I chose all three). And finally, you can add grilled peppers, eggplant, tomato, cucumber or lettuce. Everything is handmade right in front of you; each ingredient carefully placed and organized in order to construct the perfect sandwich.






Then, placed on a rustic wood cutting board, with a garnish of fresh olives, that magical woman presents you with your masterpiece:

This sandwich is almost too good to be ruined with trying to explain it in words. Because of the care taken in its construction, each bite contains every element and your mouth never misses any part. The bread by itself is enough to rave about, but when all the ingredients come together, this sandwich becomes a sandwich unlike any other. The freshest, most wholesome, hearty meal that a little farm has to offer. And really, an experience like this could only happen on kibbutz. There is no better way for kibbutznikim to relish shabbat than to take a minute to enjoy their own labor, to appreciate the delicacies their work produces. Where else do we get the chance to slow down like this?