When it’s sunny, I hate to think I can’t enjoy being outdoors until the weekend…but of course there’s that little matter of going to the office every day and putting in the requisite eight hours which can leave little time for getting out and about. However,  one of the beautiful things about living in London is that home is never too far from a park. So, when the weather is good I’ve been preparing simple picnics I can stash in the fridge and take to the park after work.

Aubergine and chickpea salad, naan bread and fresh cherries

I made the aubergine and chickpea salad the night before by combining grilled aubergine and courgette with a tin of chickpeas, chopped red onion, fresh coriander and a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and paprika. Leaving it in the fridge overnight allowed the flavours to deepen and wheb I got home all I had to do was spend a couple of minutes heating the naan before heading out to enjoy the sun.