Recipe Reviewed: Fried Chickpea and Arugula Pita Sandwiches

Farm Share Food - Cilantro, Garlic Scapes, Arugula

 

These summer sandwiches are surprisingly filling.  I like fried chickpeas, they have a great crunch.  The arugula is lightly dressed.  That part of the recipe alone would make a nice salad side. 

 
I made a couple of substitutions based on our preferences and so I could put our CSA share to use.  The recipe calls for mint in the tzatziki dressing.  We don’t like mint and we had plenty of fresh herbs from the CSA.  I referenced “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg to find out which of our CSA herbs went well with Arugula.  Turns out they all do, so I substituted the mint with cilantro.  “The Flavor Bible” is an index of ingredients and other foods that compliment them.  It is one of my favorite reference books.  I also substituted pita with naan.  I have yet to find a pita I enjoy where we live.  I’ll have to bring some home next time I visit my family.  We very much enjoy Trader Joe’s Naan and keep it in the freezer.  We find Trader Joe’s Naan to be a great option when you can’t get authentic naan.
 
My kids are not adventurous eaters.  My husband and I have trouble not being adventurous eaters.  The compromise at the dinner table is what I call “piece meals” for my kids.  To “piece meal” this dish I gave the kids fried chickpeas (before they were spiced), naan, tomato slices, and yogurt.  They didn’t like the chickpeas, but they did try them.  This works for me because I get to try new dishes, and they get a good dinner eating the “pieces”.
 
Fried Chickpea and Arugula Pita Sandwiches with LimeTzatziki