Baby Gem Salad with toasted chickpea and garlic croutons

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I ain't gonna call it Ceasar

While all else are roaming round a wet and soggy field in Stradbally, I spent Saturday morning filling up my freezer. Maybe I'm getting old - or maybe I didn't have the money (hint - I'm not old!) First with pots of delicious spicy anchovy and tomato pasta sauce, then with a whole heap of cinnamon bagels. For a light lunch I knocked together this lovely little salad. It feels like summer is one it's last legs so I'll get a few more tasty salads down before it's final death rattle!

Ingredients 
Serves 1
1 head of baby gem
1 small tin of chickpeas
1/2 heel of bread - cubed
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of flour - plain or chickpea
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
zest of half a lemon
juice of a quarter of a lemon
1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of plain yogurt
1 clove of garlic crushed

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
2. On a greaseproof tray - mix together chickpeas, lemon zest, olive oil and flour.
3. Bake for 15 minutes - then allow to cool
4. Mean while - mix the garlic with the bread cubes, extra virgin and season well.
5. Pop these in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden, turning once
6. Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and yogurt.
7. When the chickpeas are cool and crunchy, arrange over a bed of baby gem along with the croutons and a generous serving of dressing.
8. Set to dusting out your wooly tights!

I made a batch of croutons - they should keep in an airtight container for a  week or two, like mini crunchy garlic breads to go on your soup/sandwich or wrap.