Growing your own fruit and veggies sounds so romantic and sustainable, but thus far our modest attempts to turn our backyard into a food garden have been a ways shy of successful. The lettuce turned out bitter, the tomatoes sour and uninspiring, and the modest crop of figs was largely devoured by insects. We did have a few breaks: the lemon tree (the most useful backyard fruit tree, if you ask me), the passion fruit vines (pretty, easy to grow and bearing plentiful fruit twice a year) and the herbs all contributed to our table. Every time I pluck a handful of basil for my pasta or a few sprigs of mint for my salad I feel like a presenter on one of those sexy food documentaries set in Provence or Tuscany. However, I don't even attempt to grow my favorite herb, cilantro, simply because I would never be able to grow enough for my needs (2-3 large bunches a week). Whether homegrown or store bought, fresh herbs are your best companions for summer cooking, as the following recipes deliciously demonstrate.
Janna Gur's
Culinary Guide By no means comperensive or systematic, this is a compilation of my favorite restaurants around the country. The majority of the recommendations are in Tel Aviv – my hometown and without a doubt the food Capital of Israel.
