One of the many things I respect about Germans is their appreciation of seasonal produce and their effort to purposely not shop for out of season goods. Born and raised in California, I could get my hands on a tropical fruit anytime of the year, even if that means paying a little more for it. Germans on the other hand, stick solely to the seasons and their dishes stay true to the weather and farms around them.

Another thing that Germans pride themselves in is their bread, or brot. You can find bakeries on every corner of Berlin, along with cafes. This country has over a hundred of varieties to choose from, some even say it’s the best in the world. It’s a staple in their cuisine and essential for breakfast. Every time I eat breakfast with my extended family, we’re showered with an assortment of bread that’s placed nicely on the table. The options are limitless.

One final note is the cheese, oh the cheese. It’s easy as an American to brag about the bread and cheese in France but really I think Germany is overlooked. Germans love their cheese, along with the spread of bread for breakfast, cheese is also spread out on the table, and tons of it at that. Cheese from different regions of the country, their neighbors in Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, and even Spain. Breakfast is something to always look forward to.

For my Birthday I decided to mix these three things, seasonal produce, brot, and cheese to make delicious open faced sandwiches. Below are the recipes for each sandwich, very easy to make, and easy to enjoy.

For these sandwiches I used landbrot, or farm bread. We picked it up early in the morning at a bakery down the street, I toasted the cut slices in the oven for a few minutes, just enough for them to get a little toasted. Below are the recipes that match each sandwich from left to right.

1. Fig, ricotta, and honey – Spread a generous amount of ricotta on the bread. Cut up a fig, place the slices on the bread, and drizzle honey over the figs.

2. Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and pine nuts – Drizzle some olive oil on the bread. Spread washed and dried watercress over the olive oil. Tear off and place fresh mozzarella chunks on top of the watercress. Cut up cherry tomato slices-place on watercress, and sprinkle roasted pine nuts on the top. Do one more generous drizzle of olive oil over the whole sandwich and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Peach, cream cheese, and thyme – Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on the bread. Cut up a peach, place the slices on the bread. Sprinkle clean pieces of thyme on the peaches.

4. Pear, goat cheese. walnuts, and honey – Cut up slices of goat cheese. Place on bread. Cut up slices of pear, place on goat cheese. Sprinkle walnuts chunks on pears. Drizzle with honey.

5. Egg and chives – Spread some mayo on the bread. Scramble a couple of eggs and season with salt and pepper. Place over mayo. Cut chives into small pieces and sprinkle over egg.

Enjoy! And feel free to experiment.