vegetable summer rolls

This is less of a recipe and more of a guide because you can put many fresh vegetables, herbs, and meats into these summer rolls. I wanted to use asparagus but they had died a slow death in the back of my refrigerator so I used green beans instead. I didn't have scallions but they would be lovely in these. And, if you have some tofu or shrimp at hand, try frying it up into small pieces and tossing it in. Traditionally, these are made with mint but I didn't have any. In Cambodia, we snacked on summer rolls with shredded green papaya and shredded green mango. In Vietnam, these are made with rice vermicelli. I am yet to meet a version I don't like.

Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian , Summer Rolls
Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 2 people

4 sheets rice paper, 10 or 12 inches in diameter
4 tender lettuce leaves, like Boston, washed, dried and torn
1 carrot, finely julienned or grated
1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely julienned or grated
a handful of green beans, blanched and shocked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai

1. Set up a work station: Lay out a damp kitchen or paper towel and a large bowl of hot water from your tap. You need a bowl that is wide enough so your rice paper rolls will comfortably fit inside them. (I didn't have a large enough bowl so I used a wide saute pan). Dip a sheet of rice paper in the hot water, turning once, and take it out. The trick here is not to let the rice paper soak in the water because it will soften as it sits on the counter. Five seconds on each side should be enough.

2. Remove the rice paper wrapper and lay it on the towel.

3. On the bottom third of the rice paper, spread a 1/4 of each of the vegetables except the basil and cilantro. Fold in the bottom edge and the bottom side and roll tightly once over. Place the basil and cilantro into the wrapper once you fold it over and then continue wrapping like a burrito. The rice paper will adhere to itself quickly.

4. Serve immediately or wrap in damp paper towels and plastic wrap and serve within an hour or so, with a dipping sauce. I went the easy route and served it with soy sauce and San-J Peanut Sauce but you could also make a peanut dipping sauce like this one.