When it comes to cheese and Valentine's Day, we tend to think of stuffed animals and sappy cards. But cheesemonger Anne Saxelby has teamed up with her Essex Street Market neighbor, Roni-Sue's Chocolates, to marry cheese (the delicious, edible kind) with its brother-in-butterfat, chocolate, in the perfect Valentine's Day gift pack.

Saxelby's Sweet-and-Savory Heart selection matches three of her favorite domestic cheeses with Roni-Sue's inventive chocolate truffles. As fans of offbeat cheese pairings, we think this will make a unique gift for those tired of the old heart-shaped box.

Here's what you'll get:

Brebis Blanche with Portly Fig truffles
It's no surprise that this tangy, fluffy sheep's-milk cheese from upstate New York is great with a truffle sweetened with port-soaked figs.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve with Frida truffles
Roni-Sue's Frida truffles are laced with espresso and cocoa nibs, a good foil to this nutty, caramel-flavored cheese from Wisconsin.

Constant Bliss with Pecan Pie truffles
One of our very favorite cheeses, Constant Bliss from Vermont's Jasper Hill Farm, is creamy and buttery and, when matched with a nutty confection, really lives up to its name.

The Sweet-and-Savory Heart gift pack ($49, plus shipping) is available at Saxelby Cheesemongers at the Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St. (at Delancey St.); 212-288-8204 or saxelbycheese.com