Valentine’s Day: A Hearty Meal
To most of us, Valentine’s Day is the celebration of love and affection, shown through the giving of flowers, chocolate, sweets and other heart-shaped gifts. The exchanging of greetings cards became tradition in the 19th century, often signed from “your Valentine” and featuring a cute winged cupid, but the roots of this celebratory day go a little deeper. Did someone say Feast of Saint Valentine? Like every good thing, this lovely day is stemmed from something that is always in our hearts (and bellies!)…
A Sweet Story
Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, more commonly known simply as Valentine’s Day, has an impressive history spanning back as far as the 3rd century! Much of its origin is based on stories – folklore passed down from generations, each adding their own traditions and building to what we know today. This in itself we think is rather romantic, but there is one particular story that captured our imaginations (and hearts, of course).
Like much of modern history, many of these stories are created from accounts of Christian martyrdom. One in particular tells of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome under the Roman Empire, in which he restores the sight of the daughter of his jailer. It is said that the Saint wrote to the daughter before his execution and signed the letter from, you guessed it, “your Valentine.”
Factual Feasts
Whilst the romantic tales of those gone before us may warm our hearts, the more factual history of feasting definitely warms our bellies! The Feast of Saint Valentine was the genius idea of Pope Gelasius I back in 496 AD. He chose the date of February 14th to honour Saint Valentine of Rome who is thought to have died on that day.
Luckily for you, we’ve been in touch with some friends of ours, Rebecca and Hannah (known over on Instagram as @food_for_daise – warning: this Instagram account will make you very hungry!) who have kindly provided us with some delicious recipes for your very own Valentines feast…
A Hearty Meal
Starter – Pan Fried Wild Scallops in Brown Butter with Forest Mushroom Puree, Spinach Sauce and Watercress
Our Sommelier Suggests: Macon-Villages Vieille Vignes Verpailles
Main Course – Beef Fillet Steak with Spinach Chimichurri, Polenta Chips, Charred Romero Peppers and Crispy Kale
Our Sommelier Suggests: Ijalba Reserva Rioja
Dessert – Chocolate and Coffee Pots
Our Sommelier Suggests: Fortified Domaine Bousquet Malbec
We’re sure even just one of these Valentines recipes will be enough to win over the one you love this Valentine’s Day, but why risk it? We’ve created a collection of the best organic gifts to win the heart of your favourite foodie – check out the full Valentine’s Day collection here.