Summer Rolls
Because it’s Summer, of course! And even if it isn’t, whatever, they’re good. Here’s how I make em.
Pluck mint from garden.
Pluck basil from garden.
Bask in the glory of my green thumb!
Summer rolls are like egg rolls that you don’t need to fry or do any heat cooking whatsoever. I’ve only made vegetarian versions of it because when you take out the meat, cooking and the clean-up which follows, is just so much easier. Once you have it down, you can fill it with anything.

So to make these wraps, I buy rice paper from an Asian grocer. I prefer the larger size without sesame seeds. Just round plain rice paper.
I like a thick peanut sauce too though I’ve tried it with fish sauce as well. For the peanut sauce:
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 small garlic clove mashed to a paste
- 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup water
For variations, I’ve added a dash of fish sauce before, a tablespoonful of vinegar, more hot chili-garlic paste than the recipe calls for, and held the mashed garlic clove, in different combinations.
To make the wraps:
- Grease a large flat pan where you will lay the finished rolls. They stick together so you have to have enough room to lay them flat and not touch each other.
- Lay out your fillings in an assembly-line fashion. Or however you want it. (I’ve used grated carrots, cucumber, jicama, mint, basil, cilantro, purple cabbage)
- Fill a flat pie dish with water.
- Dip one sheet of rice paper in the water until it’s wet (5 seconds or so) then lay it atop a cutting board or other non-smooth or greased surface. This stuff is sticky so you have to work quickly.
- Put a row of the filling in the bottom center of the rice paper leaving room at the bottom and two sides. I try to make it about the size of 2 rolls of quarters. By now the paper has softened.
- Fold the bottom flap up to cover the filling, then the two sides towards the middle, then roll it right up! You don’t need any binder or glue because the rice paper sticks to itself. Don’t worry about tears or whatnot.




























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