Israel is a morning country. Runners pack the paths at daybreak, hotel  breakfasts begin at 6:30 and the rumble of traffic starts even earlier. Naturally, breakfast is the Main Event at most hotels where lavish buffets are offered daily. There are several stations: fruit, vegetable, cheese, fish, a cereal bar/grain (matzos this week), hot dishes like pancakes, eggs and potatoes and… the ubiquitous array of sweets. The challenge is in choosing of course. I try to limit my take to vegetables and grains. Still, I end up with a mish mash (the word’s origins are from Hebrew). Here’s what I chose on four separate mornings at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv(top two) and at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem (bottom two).

                         shredded green head cabbage; pickled radishes;raw cucumbers; cucumber tomato Israeli salad

               pickled cucumber,red pepper and onions; mushroom salad; braised broccoli; cucumber, onion, olive and feta Israeli salad

            celery, apple, parsley, walnut and golden raisin salad; shaved zucchini and yellow squash salad

                mozzarella in olive oil sprinkled with tomatoes, basil and almonds; red cabbage salad; bean sprouts with tomatoes; spinach, yellow pepper and feta cheese salad