Foodstuff we like right now.

ARTISAN CHOCOLATES

We feel lucky (as will our valentine) to have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to sophisticated local chocolates. Gearharts boldly flavored selection includes mint julep and Michigan cherry (shown at left). Pandora Chocolatier makes decorative raspberry (shown right), Earl Grey, and blood orange, to name a few. $1.65 a piece for Gearharts at the Charlottesville or Richmond shop; (434) 972-9100; www.gearhartschocolates.com. $tk for Pandora, sold at Shenandoah Joe’s in Charlottesville. (434) 960-0628; www.pandorachocolatier.com.

RAINBOW SHELL PASTA

Spinach and tomato give these ping-pong-ball-size lumaconi pasta their noteworthy color (and nutrients). A mollusk is what gives them their name: Lumaca means snail in Italian, and the shape leaves no question as to why. They’re wonderful stuffed with anything you’d use in ravioli. But they’re also nice topped with the delicate pepper-cream sauce recipe printed on the bag. $8.95 a bag at Oil & Vinegar in Charlottesville. (434) 975-5432; www.oilandvinegarusa.com

PECAN BOULE

After selling breads, pastries, and pestos at the Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market, Joshua Wilton House was bombarded with customers asking for more. Now the baked goods are for sale at the Harrisonburg restaurant. You simply call in with your order, and then pick it up on Friday or Saturday. We couldn’t resist this whole-wheat honey-pecan boule, which is just perfect toasted with a slathering of butter—or even as French toast. Also don’t miss the cheddar-dill cream biscuits. $9 for the boule (540) 434-4464; www.joshuawilton.com.

MARINATED FETA

We’re hooked on this local feta. Jennifer Downey of Night Sky Farm in Brookneal, 30 miles southeast of Lynchburg, marinates the cheese in a flavorful bath of olive oil and homegrown herbs—a combination that has each bite dancing on the tongue. The goats on the farm also produce milk for pressed cheeses, semi-soft chevres, and even soap. This feta is our favorite—spread on a cracker or served atop a salad. Heck, we like it practically anywhere. The olive oil and herbs can even be reserved and used as a marinade for other things. $11 for eight ounces. www.nightskyfarmgoatcheese.com.

FELT BREAKFAST TOYS

The little chef in our house likes to “make” pancakes, eggs, and grapefruit for the family each morning. Handcrafted in Charlottesville by Playday Toys—a company started by Susannah Wood, a mother who used to be a designer in an architecture firm, and her carpenter husband—they are a tasty (looking) addition to the toy box. Wood says even adults have shown interest in her toy foods, hanging felt carrots from a rear-view mirror or using the inedibles to decorate a Christmas tree. $15 for three pancakes, two eggs, and one grapefruit half. www.playdaytoys.etsy.com.

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