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 at dinner parties. 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. They often visit local farmers markets and can be contacted on (01985) 841093 or by visiting www.purelyorganic.co.uk. It has been called the best trout in the country by chef Rick Stein and he's certainly sampled enough fish to give an informed opinion.

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.

There are over 400 schemes in the UK and 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. The two biggest box companies in our area are Riverford organic vegetables (www.riverford.co.uk or call 0845 6002311) and Abel & Cole (www.abel-cole.co.uk or call 0845 2626262).

Now you've got all your ingredients sorted it's time to get in the kitchen.

When making meals at home, start off by following a recipe. After a while you'll know what flavours go together and you can start to experiment. If you're planning a dinner party try and think ahead. A lot of dishes can be frozen until needed sometimes it actually improves the flavour. Stick to simple recipes that leave you more time to socialise rather than being stuck in the kitchen all night. But most importantly of all don't forget to have fun.