Valentine’s Day feast

Victoria Cosford

If cooking for someone is an act of love, then what better time to do so than Valentine’s Day? More so if you extend that love to the provenance of your ingredients, to the farmers and producers at the farmers’ market, where, in addition, your choices will be unbeatably fresh, local, and seasonal.

You want to go to a bit of trouble, though nothing excessive – and the following suggested menu is a lovely compromise.

Begin with a pot of the award-winning, luscious Smoked Fish Rillettes from the Bay Smokehouse, alongside a baguette from Scratch Patisserie or Crabbes Creek Woodfired.

It’s the main dish into which you can really pour your love, with a fabulous Belinda Jeffery recipe, ‘Roast chicken with oodles of herbs’. Start with the best chicken around, a Misty Creek pasture-raised free-range organic beast, and make a herby butter. Into 140 grams of softened butter, mash several tablespoons of fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, tarragon, from Iona Herbs – until well-combined. With your delicate fingers, gently separate skin from flesh, all over if possible, and work the butter underneath the loosened skin.

Any excess smear all over the chicken, place in a baking dish, squeeze over a lemon and place the lemon halves in the cavity. Pop into a very hot 230°C pre-heated oven for 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 205-C for an extra 50 minutes, basting occasionally. And that’s it, a gloriously golden glazed, herby, lemony showpiece to serve with steamed baby potatoes from Morrow’s Farm, chopped tomatoes courtesy of Coopers Shoot tomatos and a Salad Hut rocket salad.

After all that richness, serve thin wedges of cooling watermelon from Everest Farm – and finish, naturally, with Pure Melt chocolate hearts. Flowers from Glenyce Creighton, Jumping Red Ant or Summit Organics and Ahana candles complete the romance!

Bay Smokehouse, Scratch Patisserie, Crabbes Creek Woodfired, Iona Herbs, Coopers Shoot Tomatoes, Everest Farm, Glenyce Creighton, Jumping Red Ant and Summit Organics are at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8 to 11am and at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am; Misty Creek Farm, Morrow’s Farm, Salad Hut, Ahana Candles and Pure Melt are at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am.