One of my favorite days....

Okay, so I know it must seem like I say this every week, but I really think today was one of my favorite meetings ever with the Eco-Friendly Group.

My favorite part was making the Vietnamese summer rolls and dipping sauces.

No, wait, my favorite part was digging beds for our soon-to-be-transplanted sweet potatoes and other goodies.

No, no, WAIT, for sure my FAVORITE part was harvesting the onions we planted this past fall. And had I not brought in some onions from the 14th & U farmers' market for our summer rolls, I'd never have shown the students what the tops of onions look like when they're ready to harvest. It was James' keen eye that caught the almost-flowering tops of the green onions in our raised bed and the harvesting extravaganza began....

Seriously, this is my job? I love it!

Should you find yourself with some of your own fresh, green onions -- from the garden at Drew M.S., from the farmers' market, from your own garden, from the grocery store -- you might consider making some delicious summer rolls with them. By popular request, here is the recipe:

Vietnamese-style summer rolls

Ingredients:
•             Rice paper wrappers (available at specialty markets, or in the ethnic food section of many grocery stores)

Filling:
•             1 cup of green cabbage or 1 bunch of kale/spinach/spicy greens, chopped

•             5 green onions, thinly sliced

•             1 cup thin noodles, pre-cooked (use rice, Chinese, or bean thread noodles)

•             1/4 cup fresh herbs (use cilantro, basil, and/or mint)

•             2 carrots, peeled and then grated

•             2 cucumbers, peeled and julienned (a fancy word for "thinly sliced")
Optional additions:
•             1/2 cup bean sprouts

•             1 large bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced

•             1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded

•              shrimp, peeled and cooked

 
Directions:

Toss together filling ingredients in a large bowl.

Submerge rice paper wrappers in hot water until pliable, about 15 seconds.  Move one wrapper at a time to a large plate or cutting board.

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each wrapper and form filling into a small hotdog shape.

Make a burrito with the wrapper around the filling. Place filled, wrapped rolls with the flap side down to help keep them closed. Be gentle, the rice paper is very delicate!

Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy.

Dipping sauce recipes (accompaniments for summer rolls)

Dipping Sauce #1: Ginger Soy
Ingredients:
•             1 TBSP lime juice

•             1 TBSP soy sauce

•             1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Directions: Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Dipping sauce #2: Sweet Chili
Ingredients:
•             1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

•             1/4 cup hot water

•             2 TBSP sugar

•             1 lime, juiced

•             1 tsp minced garlic

•             1 tsp red chili paste, such as sambal

•             ½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve with the summer rolls.

Dipping sauce #3: Peanut Sauce (the crowd favorite)
Ingredients:
•             2 tablespoons creamy organic or natural peanut butter

•             2 tablespoons rice vinegar

•             2 teaspoons soy sauce

•             2 teaspoons sugar

•             1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Directions: Whisk ingredients together and get ready for dipping!

Which is your favorite combination of flavors and textures??