I love the transformation that takes place with a round of rice paper when I make spring rolls ~

Whatever you choose to roll up inside, you create this beautiful, translucent, portable delight! Don’t you just love them?

Sriracha – the oh-so-spicy Vietnamese hot sauce – makes everything a little bit brighter! A dot here, a dot there, an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Fresh minced ginger, toasted sesame oil and tamari sauce made a simple, brilliant marinade for blanched green beans, (frozen from the garden last fall), blended with the satisfying bite of japonica and sushi rice, the clean chew of the rice wrap. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. It’s ALL good.

Japonica rice

sticky wonderful sushi rice

mixed greens with a little cilantro (mint would be perfect, too!)

ginger, tamari, toasted sesame oil marinated green beans – from the 2012 garden!

the rice paper

I’ve got a whole new plan for tomorrow’s birthday potluck party in the park (including a DESSERT spring roll with coconut rice, mangoes and pistachios) but these ingredients served very well to satisfy. I’m dreaming of a snap pea, mint, and jasmine rice with avocado spring roll, when the garden peas start ripening. Doesn’t that sound irresistible?

Alas, I didn’t get any photos of the rolling procedure, but if you’ve ever made a burrito, you can roll a spring roll.  Soak each round of rice paper in warm water for a minute or two – I usually flip halfway through. When it has softened and is very pliable, lift from the water. Lay flat, then arrange your filling ingredients in a line down the center of the softened rice paper, leaving an inch or so on either side. Fold over these edges onto the filling, then roll from the bottom up, lifting the lower part of the round, gently tucking it over the top of the long mound of filling ingredients. continue to roll until the softened rice “paper” seals itself.

I really prefer the fresh – un-fried spring rolls, but it’s all a matter of taste.

Sure, I’ll bite!