Olive oil is the foundation of every Mediterranean meal — especially when it comes from the south, where olive trees grow in red soil and stone, like those in the Primošten groves of OPG Branko Marinov.

In these five simple recipes, olive oil plays the main role, and each dish reveals a different part of its character.

1. Bruschetta with Olive Oil and Garlic

Crispy bruschetta drizzled with extra virgin olive oil from OPG Branko Marinov

A simple dish that shows, in just a few minutes, how something “small” can taste surprisingly big.

Ingredients

• Bread

• Olive oil

• Garlic

• Salt, pepper

• Optional: cherry tomatoes, basil

Preparation

1. Toast the bread.

2. Rub it with fresh garlic.

3. Drizzle with aromatic olive oil.

4. Add tomatoes if you like.

Olive oil is the star here — the dish is only as good as the oil you use.

2. Roasted Eggplant with Lemon, Olive Oil, and Goat Cheese

Roasted eggplant drizzled with extra virgin olive oil from OPG Branko Marinov

It looks like a “gourmet” dish but takes very little time.

Eggplant absorbs everything — which makes good olive oil stand out even more in this recipe.

Ingredients

• Eggplant

• Olive oil

• Lemon

• Goat cheese

• Salt, pepper

• Parsley

Preparation

1. Slice the eggplant, salt it, and let it rest until it releases water.

2. Roast at 200°C (392°F) until soft.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon.

4. Add goat cheese.

Olive oil ties all the flavors together — without it, the dish wouldn’t have that fresh Mediterranean brightness.

3. Potatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil

Homemade potatoes prepared with extra virgin olive oil from OPG Branko Marinov

A dish that fed Dalmatia for generations — today we enjoy it because it’s delicious, not because we must.

Ingredients

• Potatoes

• Olive oil

• Garlic

• Salt, pepper

• Rosemary

Preparation

1. Blanch the potatoes for 10 minutes.

2. Transfer to a baking tray with olive oil, garlic, and seasoning.

3. Roast until crispy.

Potatoes are the perfect “stage” for olive oil — they highlight its aroma, bitterness, and gentle spice.

4. Anchovies in Cold Olive Oil

Traditional anchovies served with cold extra virgin olive oil from OPG Branko Marinov

One of the simplest and purest Dalmatian dishes.

Cold olive oil is the main ingredient here — the anchovies simply carry its flavor.

Ingredients

• Fresh or salted anchovies

• Olive oil (best when used raw)

• Lemon juice

• Parsley

• Garlic

• Salt, pepper

Preparation

1. If using salted anchovies, rinse and pat dry.

2. Place them on a plate and cover generously with cold olive oil.

3. Add lemon, chopped parsley, and a bit of garlic.

4. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

No heat, no cooking — just pure terroir on a plate.

5. Bread with Olive Oil

Freshly baked bread, perfect with the olive oil of OPG Branko Marinov

An old Dalmatian habit: a piece of bread, a splash of oil, a pinch of salt — and the whole story is there.

The simplest dish possible, but incredible when the oil is good.

Ingredients

• Bread (homemade or freshly baked)

• Olive oil

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: rosemary, oregano, or chopped garlic

Preparation

1. Slice and lightly toast the bread (or serve fresh).

2. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Add salt and herbs if desired.

The best way to experience olive oil without distractions — pure, simple, elemental.

Conclusion

In a world full of complicated recipes, trends, and endless variations, simple dishes remain the ones that speak the loudest.

The ones built around a few honest ingredients, flavors that don’t pretend, and traditions that can’t be bought — only passed down.

Olive oil is the thread that connects them all.

Whether you choose bruschetta, roasted eggplant, potatoes, anchovies, or just a warm slice of bread, every dish carries the same philosophy: good things don’t need to be complicated.

If the oil is good, everything else falls into place.

This is why Dalmatia has cooked this way for generations.

Not out of poverty — but out of wisdom.

Because olive oil carries the weight of an entire place, an entire year, the sun, the wind, and the stone. And when you put it on a plate, all of that becomes part of the meal.

That’s why these Top 5 simple dishes with olive oil are much more than recipes:

they are small, everyday moments to slow down, enjoy a flavor that lasts, and feel the authenticity that every real gastronomic experience needs.

And when you use true olive oil — from real groves, from real land, from the rocky hills of Primošten — even the simplest bite becomes something special.

Not because it’s expensive or rare,

but because it’s real.

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