Romance and food have long been tied. To cook is an act of love, whether it’s a recipe to seduce, one to mend a broken heart or to share and bond with loved ones. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to flex those creative cooking muscles, to show someone what they mean to you - whether it’s a hastily arranged charcuterie plate or a candlelit 3-course meal. This Valentine’s Day, we’ve created something special, a complete evening built around The Lover hamper. From cocktail and nibbles to main course, each recipe showcases the exceptional artisan produce sourced here in the Cotswolds.

So, What’s On The Menu?

Before you even think about turning on the stove, it’s time to pour yourselves something special. The Smoking Goose’s Habanero Hot Honey delivers an extra kick to your margarita, with the perfect spicy-sweet hit to leave you coming back for more.

Hot Honey Margarita

120ml good-quality tequila

60ml fresh lime juice

30ml Cointreau or Triple Sec

1-2 tbsp hot honey (adjust for your taste)

Ice cubes

Optional - Lime wedge and Cherry Bomb Dust for rim

 

1. For the rim, rub cut lime around the rim of the glass and roll in Cherry Bomb Dust or Tajin.

2. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Taste and add more hot honey if you like it spicy.

3. Strain into glasses over ice and serve.

Cherry Bomb Popcorn

70g microwave popcorn

4tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp Tubby Toms Cherry Bomb Dust Rub

1 tbsp brown sugar

1. Pop popcorn according to packet instructions.

2. Combine Cherry Bomb Dust and brown sugar with a small pinch of flaky sea salt.

3. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl and drizzle over butter, tossing to coat.

4. Sprinkle over the dust mix and shake well until coated.

Mushroom Truffle Tagliatelle

Start the meal with the luxurious tangle of Truffle Hunter’s Truffle Tagliatelle, cooked with seasonal British mushrooms. The earthy truffle tones are the perfect Valentine’s indulgence, setting the tone for what’s to come. 

200g Truffle Tagliatelle

200g mixed mushrooms

100ml single cream

50g parmesan

2tbsp butter

2 cloves of garlic

Juice ½ lemon

Fresh thyme leaves

1. Check mushrooms for dirt and wipe with damp cloth if needed, then slice roughly. Place a frying pan over medium heat and 1tbsp butter. Once foaming, add 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with flat blade of a knife, along with a sprig of time. Fry for a minute and then add mushrooms, cooking until golden brown - about 8 mins.

2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente and drain, reserving a cupful of cooking water.

3. Reduce heat to low on mushroom pan and add cream and lemon juice. Remove garlic and cooked thyme sprig. 

4. Add tagliatelle to the pan along with a decent splash of pasta water, a generous grind of black pepper and 1 tbsp butter and shake the pan vigorously whilst stirring, to allow the pasta to emulsify.

5. Transfer to pasta bowls and finish with parmesan and fresh thyme leaves.

Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Rub, served with Lemony Rainbow Chard and Cherry Jus

Don’t be intimidated by cooking duck breast. It’s surprisingly affordable and creates a restaurant-quality dish with not much effort. Think beautifully caramelised duck breast with a cherry-spiked crust, served on a bed of garlicky, lemony greens and a spoonful of silky jus.

For the Duck:

2 duck breasts

4 tbsp Cherry Bomb Dust Rub

2 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic

1 sprig thyme

For the Greens:

200g rainbow chard

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 lemon, zest and juice

(Optional) For Cherry Jus:

15 pitted frozen cherries

2 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Splash of Freedom of the Press Pink Pinot Noir (drink the rest!)

200ml chicken stock

1 tbsp fridge-cold butter 

1. Remove duck breasts from the fridge 30 mins before cooking to come to room temperature. 

2. Preheat the oven to 190c. Pat the duck skin dry with kitchen roll and score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern. Season and rub Cherry Bomb over both sides of duck and transfer skin-side down to a cold frying pan, before turning to a medium heat. Cook undisturbed until skin is golden and crispy (about 6 minutes) and then flip and cook for a minute on the other side. Transfer to the oven and cook for 12 minutes, basting with fat halfway through.

3. Drain off fat from frying pan and add garlic, crushed with flat blade of knife, along with thyme to pan and allow to brown for a minute. Deglaze the pan with vinegar and sugar and scrape up any browned bits. Add splash of wine along with stock and cherries, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Allow to reduce for about 20 minutes while the duck rests and you cook greens. 

4. Remove duck from oven (check temperature is around 52-54c before resting for medium rare) and allow to rest.

5. Heat pan over medium heat and add glug of olive oil. Remove leaves from chard and finely slice stalks. Add stalks to the pan with crushed garlic and saute for about 5 mins. Chop leaves and add these to the pan along with lemon zest. Cook for a couple of minutes, add lemon juice and season. Remove from heat.

6. When ready to serve, remove jus from heat and add fridge- cold butter, whisky well to emulsify the sauce, giving you that silky finish. Transfer greens to plate, top with duck breast and finish with spoonful of jus.

For something sweet, we believe little more is needed than a perfectly indulgent cube (or 4...) of Mayhawk’s Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Squares, filled with a rich and soft salted caramel. Freedom of the Press Pink Pinot Noir is the ideal accompaniment to your Valentine’s feast, with enough body to enjoy alongside food and a creamy, berry flavour in every sip.

Ready to create your own Valentine's night to remember? Shop The Lover hamper here and get cooking. And if you make any of these recipes, we'd love to see them—tag us @fivevalleyshamperco on Instagram.

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Five Valleys Hamper Co. May your kitchen be warm, your wine be chilled, and your love be infinite.