F.A.W.C! Chef serves up outstanding fare to diners at The Farm

Hawke's Bay Lamb Loin and rump, Potato, broccolini, tomato and rosemary jus

June heralds the beginning of winter but that's no reason to stay indoors, because Winter F.A.W.C! is back and, along with it, F.A.W.C! by 5.

From this Friday until July 9 you can dine your way around Hawke's Bay with spectacular deals from some of the region's top restaurants, cafes and bars.

FAWC! by 5 is all about food, wine and excellent value for money with menu selections in $5 offerings.

So grab some friends and make a date to enjoy some delicious food, wine and beer at one of the participating venues.

I will be previewing some of the meals so you know what you have to look forward to.

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers
Amuse bouche, main course and glass of wine, $50

Head chef at The Farm, Cape Kidnappers James Honore has done it again - he's created outstanding dishes that made me smile at the look of them and sigh at the taste of them.
Driving up to The Farm the sky was quite overcast but just as we approached the sun burst through and we had blue sky.

The view from up here is just spectacular - I could look at it all day, well while I wasn't enjoying the cuisine that is.

Mr Honore decided that this year's F.A.W.C! by 5 menu would change daily so that diners could enjoy a return visit and dine on different fare. A fantastic idea.

You can add a starter for $25 and dessert for $15.

But before you start there's a little gift from the chef. Our amuse bouche was a delicate and delectable dish of beetroot and marinated feta - what a wonderful way to begin.
The starter followed which was Leigh snapper, herb gnocchi, fennel and kale and ball pepper dressing.

The fish was salty and tender and the gnocchi was delicate and tasty. A really colourful dish.

The main was Hawke's Bay lamb loin rump, potato, broccolini, tomato and rosemary jus.
Wow - a generous amount of beautiful Hawke's Bay lamb which was pink and tender - I hardly had to chew - it was just perfectly cooked.

Looking at my plate of food made me realise just how much work goes on behind the scenes. It looked amazing and tasted even better. The potatoes were herby and the broccolini had just the right amount of crunch to it.

I didn't think it could get any better - until the dessert came out. Two of my favourite flavours chocolate and orange were placed in front of me. It was chocolate fondant, orange hazelnut, Dulce de Leche and chocolate sorbet.

The chocolate fondant just oozed a gooey, soft rich and beautiful centre. Every mouthful of this dessert was a surprise of flavour and texture - there was warmth, coolness, crunch - my favourite dish of the day.

Mr Honore said he used seasonal local produce and also used lots of produce from their own garden.

He said the secret to cooking good lamb rump was to do it slowly.

"The lamb you had today was slow cooked and then quick pan fried then finished in the oven. The loin is so lean there's no fat so seasoning is really important. Always cook it at room temperature and if you are unsure about cooking meat get yourself a thermometer.

"Resting is really important so the core temperature evens and the juice runs to the centre."