First Winter F.A.W.C! under our belts

Monique Heke and Henry Heke

E HIKA ma, far out what an amazing month. Lots of food and plenty of restaurants and cafés visited. Of course it's Matariki, the Maori New Year, so celebrations for everyone. Not to forget Winter F.A.W.C!

On Saturday Monique and I supported our daughter's school gala with a bit of Hekeism Entertainment and a cooking demonstration.

We had a small crowd laughing and asking questions. We prepared our own version of pulled pork sliders, with apple slaw and watercress crème.

We sold these for $5 each to help fundraise for the school, He Miharo tenei! Awesome.
At the same time both Monique and I were mentally and physically preparing ourselves for our F.A.W.C! event at Mangarara Eco Lodge, Otane.

Well Monique was doing the mental part and I was doing the physical. So straight home after the gala, packed the truck up, loaded the Weber BBQ and kettle smoker, platters, chopping boards, bowls, utensils and knives, and headed to Mangarara Lodge.

Fired up the open fire pit to check temperature and burn times as we were roasting angus beef bone marrow, and chargrilling and smoking lamb racks with roasted vege.

Then back home in time to catch two crazy games, one rugby, the other league. Both of which had me yelling at the TV. "Go to bed," I said to myself.

Sunday started at 7am. Kids dressed and loaded, we were off to the supermarket, grabbing dry stores, and then over to the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market to grab fresh veges and last minute items.

I dropped the kids at their nanny's for the night and head back to Managarara, unloaded the food and started prepping for dinner. I lit the fire pit and at 3pm visitors arrived to start their tour of the farm. Crostinis and bone marrow roasting away, Monique was prepping veges and dessert.

At 6pm the entrée - angus bone marrow, pork liver pâté and pickle slaw. Main was then served - smoked lamb rack with watercress salsa verde, roasted and stir fried veges.

Dessert was apple and mangarara honey tart titan. All served by 8.05pm, a mihi/speech to close off, a bit of Tutira Mai Nga Iwi and Ten Guitars and we are packed up and home by 10.30pm. So that's our first F.A.W.C! event, thanks to Rachel and Greg Hart! - Henry Heke

*Monique and Henry Heke were contestants on reality TV show My Kitchen Rules and had their own food show on Maori Television, Tradition on a Plate. This column runs fortnightly in Indulge Magazine