Springtime Summer Rolls

Do you like buying tasty and fresh produce at your local farmer’s market? Of course you do. Do you like opening your refrigerator at the end of the week and seeing half of your delicious veggies staring back at you with sad, wilted eyes? No you do not. Take a break from boring salads and save your food from a neglectful death by making these easy summer rolls.

You’ll need:

Rice paper wrappers from the international aisle or your local Asian market

Dipping sauce (you can make your own or you can use store bought hoisin or plum sauce)

Pick your roll fillings:

Carrot and cucumber slices (cut into matchsticks)

Zucchini, cut into strips and sprinkled with salt and pepper

Avocado slices

Shredded lettuce

Fresh basil leaves

Fresh cilantro

Fresh mint

Cooked vermicelli rice noodles

Pan fried tofu

Fresh mango slices

Cooked shrimp

Cooked chicken

Peanut sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter (creamy or chunky both work)

2 tbsp warm water

1 tsp soy sauce

Lime juice to taste

Siracha to taste

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl

My favorite combo is carrots, cucumbers, basil, avocado, mango, vermicelli and tofu.

Be careful not to put too much of your fillings in your wrapper-the more stuff in your roll, the more difficult it is to roll it up neatly.

Slice and prep your fillings and soak the rice wrappers in warm water for about 5 minutes. Lay a wrapper on a plate or work surface and place your ingredients on the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving enough room on the sides that you’ll be able to fold them over (see illustration). Fold the sides in first and then fold the bottom up over your ingredients and roll the whole thing up! Dip in your sauce of choice and enjoy. Rolls kept in tupperware in the fridge will stay fresh for up to two days.