Valentine�s day has to revolve around hearts, so these recipes are no exception!

ROASTED LOVE APPLE SOUP

Tomatoes were originally called love apples and are therefore particularly appropriate for Valentine�s day. If you are able to find plum cherry tomatoes they have even better flavour.

Vegan, Serves 2

Ingredients:
675g/1 lb 8 oz cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
60ml/4tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
450ml/15 fl oz light vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

to serve:
heart shaped croutons
Chives, finely chopped
Soya cream - optional

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Place the tomatoes and cloves of garlic in a roasting dish in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes until the garlic is tender when pierced with a knife, and the tomatoes are colouring and splitting.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion until transluscent.
4. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to the onions, together with the roasted tomatoes and all the juices from the roasting pan.
5. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Cool, then blend until the soup is very smooth (make sure all the tomato skins are well blended).
6. Return the soup to a clean pan, season to taste and gently reheat.
7. Serve in warmed soup bowls topped with heart shaped croutons, a sprinkling of chopped chives and a swirl of soya cream if liked.

� Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2000

LEEK AND MUSHROOM VOL AU VENT HEARTS

Vegan
Serves 2

Ingredients:
225g/8oz ready-made puff pastry
15ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium leek, trimmed, washed and finely shredded
50g/2oz wild mushrooms, finely chopped
10ml/2 teaspoons shoyu
1cm/1/2" piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 dessert spoon plain flour
75ml/3 fl oz soya cream
15g/1/2 oz pine nuts, toasted

to serve:
griddled baby vegetables
60ml/4tbsp sweet and sour sauce mixed with an equal amount of water.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 225C/450F/Gas 8.
2. Roll out the pastry to 5mm/1/4" thick and using a 10cm/4" pastry cutter, cut out two circles. With a 7.5cm/3" cutter, cut an inner circle part way through each. With a medium heart shaped cutter, cut out two hearts (these will form the lids).
3. Place the pastry shapes on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, then remove the centres from each pastry circle, making sure you remove as much of the inside as possible to leave room for the filling.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently cook the leek until tender. Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat to evaporate the liquid. Stir in the shoyu, grated ginger and seasoning.
5. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the soya cream and cook until thickened. Stir in the pine nuts.
6. Reheat the vol au vent cases at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes. Heat the filling and spoon into the hot cases. Top with the heart shaped lids at an angle.
7. Place each one on a large serving plate and surround with griddled baby vegetables (carrots, sweetcorn, mangetout are colourful), drizzled with a little warmed and diluted sweet and sour sauce if liked.

� Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2000

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY-KIRSCH HEARTS

Note � the chocolate and cherry �loaf� ingredients make far more than you need for this recipe, but it�s so delicious you�re bound to eat it up anyway!

Vegan
Serves 2

Ingredients:
150g/5 oz good quality plain chocolate
25g/1oz hazelnuts, roasted and chopped

For the chocolate and cherry loaf:
350g/12 oz can black cherries
60ml/4 tbsp kirsch liqueur
5ml/1tsp almond essence
200g/7oz good quality plain chocolate
175g/6oz creamed coconut, grated
100g/4oz hard (block) vegan margarine
200g/7oz vegan oatmeal digestive biscuits
50g/2oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Use a medium heart shaped cutter (about 3-4 inches across) to draw 6 heart shapes on a piece of baking parchment, place on a tray or baking sheet. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Spoon into a piping bag and outline the hearts on the baking parchment, then fill in with extra melted chocolate. Sprinkle chopped roasted hazelnuts over two of them and place the tray in the fridge to harden.
2. Lightly oil a 450g/1lb loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
3. Drain the cherries retaining the juice, and reserving 1 tablespoon of cherries. Put the remaining cherries in a bowl and pour over the kirsch liqueur and almond essence. Leave to marinade for 2 hours
4. Melt the chocolate, creamed coconut and vegan margarine together over a gentle heat.
5. Roughly crush the oatmeal digestive biscuits and stir into the melted mixture with the hazelnuts. Add the marinated cherries and any remaining liquid.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and lightly smooth the top. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
7. Turn out and cut 4 slices, each 1cm/1/2" thick. Use the cutter to cut out a heart from each.
8. Place a plain chocolate heart on a serving plate. Top with a chocolate and cherry loaf heart, repeat, then top with a nutty chocolate heart. Use the remaining hearts to make a second stack. Chill until ready to serve.
9. Chop the reserved cherries and mix with a little of the reserved juice (sweeten with a little icing sugar if required) . Drizzle onto the plates around the hearts just before serving.

� Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2000