Cooking for your loved one should be an enjoyable experience, but if the closest you've ever got to gourmet cooking is opening a jar of pasta sauce, don't panic.

It's a lot easier than you might think to recreate simple yet sophisticated dishes at home. You can rustle up an impressive meal in the time it takes to call for a takeaway.

The key thing to remember when cooking at home is that fresh ingredients make a lot of difference to the overall taste.

Buying fresh food doesn't have to be more expensive - only buy what you need so nothing is wasted and look out for bargains at the greengrocers or local farmers' market. To find a farmers market, visit www.wiltshirefarmersmarket.org.uk Delicatessens are the best places to get special imported goods from other countries if you need anything for more unusual recipes. Even though the produce might cost a bit more, it will last a long time and will make your meal extra special.

If you're looking for some special cheese, the Cheese Board in Silver Street, Bradford on Avon was established in 1990 by Mrs Jenny Gane to sell specialist farmhouse and continental cheeses.

It has vastly expanded over the years to include many other lines of products such as wines, meats and preserves, most of which are made in the west country. Call (01225) 868043 or visit www.cheeseboardboa.co.uk.

Another gourmet deli is the Real Meat Company also in Silver Street, Bradford on Avon. Here you can get the finest meat and gourmet ready-meals - perfect for cheating! Call (01225) 309385 for more information or visit www.realmeat.co.uk.

Organic food is also easy to get hold of in Wiltshire and is perfect for creating delicious gourmet meals at home. Purely Organic is an organic fishery based at Deverill Trout Farm, near Warminster. Call (01985) 841093 or visit www.purelyorganic.co.uk Organic meat can also be delivered fresh to your door. Try your local farm or a company such as Sheepdrove (www.sheepdrove.com or call 01488 674747) for organic meat.

If you'd like to regularly cook your own meals, it's worth investing in an organic vegetable box scheme. Farms will deliver fresh, seasonal vegetables to your door every week for an arranged fee. Wessex Organics is a local company who offer this service (visit www.wessexorganics.co.uk). Nationwide schemes also operate on a local basis.

Now you've got all your ingredients sorted it's time to get in the kitchen. If you're planning a special Valentine's dinner try and think ahead.

A lot of dishes can be frozen until needed - sometimes it even improves the flavour. Stick to simple recipes that leave you more time to spend quality time together rather than being stuck in the kitchen all night.