Summer Appetite Festival - on an island in E17

This July a special summer edition of Appetite Festival will take place in Waltham Forest's Lloyd Park as part of Walthamstow Garden Party, a free two-day festival produced by the Barbican and Create. 

Showcasing local food businesses and growers, the Appetite tents will be set up on Lloyd Park's moated island on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July. 

The perfect mini art & food festival, Summer Appetite will magic-up the ideal chill-out space, complete with deckchairs, vintage vehicles and the opportunity to taste and buy from stalls set up by our favourite E17 foodies - everything from Walthamstow-grown organic vegetables to mouthwatering gourmet food delights, gin palaces and pop-up tea rooms. 

With a focus on local artists, designers, writers and performers including poetry and spoken word performances, a very special Art Stall and some grown-ups-only liquor-lubricated evenings. 

Entry to the Walthamstow Garden Party is free, from 12 noon - 8pm daily. 

Check out www.appetitefestival.co.uk for more details 

A Summer's lunch

I once said that advocado and mango should be made compulsory in every salad.  It's just the most refreshing thing to have on a lovely summer's day (what's left of it anyway).

A few ingredients - don't forget a snazzy lunchbox.

Just a few simple rules to keep the mango and advocado tangy and juicy ready to brighten up your working day:

Nothing beats the staple leaves and tomatoes. 

1. Lemon juice.  Lemon juice is the key to stop your advocado going brown and fresh.
2. Soy sauce.  No need for salt, as soy sauce is already salty, and adds to the dressing.
3. Rice white wine.  Adds an extra element to the salad.
4. If you like a bit of spice, add some wasabi to the salad.  

Salmon, advocado, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mango at the ready. 

I also added some teriyaki sauce to my mango, advocado and smoked salmon (you can also add prawns) and marinaded it in the sauce whilst prepping the other part of my salad.

If you're like me, and need a fuller lunch to help you get through the rest of the day, add some long grain rice or cous cous.

Lunch! Just don't eat it next to the computer.