Our Food

 

Every morning as a wisp of smoke escapes through the chimney, aroma of freshly brewed oriental coffee greets guests to our dining room. Inside, country charm meets eco-friendly chic, where locally made wooden tables and hand-hewn beams add to the ambiance. We believe your vacation at our ranch is more than just a vacation, it is a culinary getaway of the high order.

Our food has been called “soul food” and designated as “cooked with love.” It is best described as a Croatian mosaic of world flavors – a sensational fusion of Mediterranean dishes plated with an international flare. Everything we serve is prepared fresh from scratch the same day in our open country kitchen, using the very best ingredients. Eating food grown on-site or foraged from the nearby meadows and forest is at the heart of every Linden Tree menu. Respect for the sustainable production, harvest and preparation of these ingredients is always at the forefront of our mind.

Dining in one of our accommodation facilities, en-suite and alfresco dining in the meadow or on a private balcony is a special treat for couples taking romantic holidays, for anniversary celebrations and for honeymoon vacations.

Their daily baked fresh bread best sums up their commitment to nature and the local community. Just a slice of its warm deliciousness is comfort food like no other

Washington Post

Bio-dynamic and organic

Ingredients that we source hold the principles of bio-dynamic and organic farming methods. Not all are certified, however, we make sure we know our suppliers; after all they are our neighbors and family members. And then there is our highly praised mare’s milk. Few drops of that painstakingly drawn elixir has been known for ages to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Fresh & local

A vegetable and herb gardens on the property provide fresh greens, vegetables, carrots, onions, edible flowers and garnishes helping reduce the carbon footprint. Dishes like the summer salad of baby greens, semi-dried tomato pears, roasted beets and mixed herbs are 100% sourced from the garden.

from Nature

We enrich your dining experience with leaves, plants, mushrooms and berries foraged from the woods. In fact, foraging has become a daily routine for our chef and his sous-chefs. It’s our goal to have something foraged on your plate at every meal. In this way we bring Nature into the dining room.

Coffee & tea

Our signature oriental coffee is brewed from the finest Arabica beans specially selected by our Master Chef Megi, who grew up in old Sarajevo where secrets of preparing coffee are passed down from generation to generation. Her passion for Nature is evident in herbs she picks on the mountain for Linden tea mixtures. And there is inevitable cowboy coffee, made daily on our trusty Dora, a cast iron woodstove.

from the Wild

River and seas caught fish and wild venison from the forests nearby are ranch specialties. Our dairy, poultry and beef all come from community-based cooperatives and are 100% organic and free-range. Once a week we organize trips to visit these local farms. Our little guests accompany our sous-chef every morning to the chicken coop to bring fresh breakfast eggs.

the Bread

Our bread is baked from three types of locally grown grains (rye, barley, wheat) and slowly fermented. It is baked inside a big wood-fired bread oven, as a part of community collaboration. Suitable even for gluten sensitive people, due to antique grain varieties.

Croatian wine

The Ranch offers a boutique selection of exclusively Croatian wines. Those with a discerning palate can choose from a carefully curated list of archival wines.

Special needs

It is helpful for us to know in advance of any restrictions, allergies, or special medical conditions, so that we can best serve you. Our modern natural cuisine favors reduction sauces over cream-based, vegetable-based broths over meat stock, organic ingredients over conventional, and a light healthy (and incredibly delicious) style of cooking.

Michelin guide

Our commitment to balanced and restorative cuisine has been recognized by Michelin guide editors who honored us in two consecutive editions, both in 2016 and 2018, by listing the Ranch in their little big book!
Luxury nature resort at the heart of the wilderness.

Experience authentic guest ranch and restorative retreat hidden inside UNESCO Velebit Mountain Biosphere Reserve, Velika Plana, Croatia. Home of a unique horsemanship, bespoke attention to comfort, service, sustenance, and transformative experience.

“Portal to what matters!” – D. Derifaj