ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Issue 48
The Refresh Issue
Make Gym Equipment
Preserve Summer Fruits
Tailor Thrift Store Finds
Check out the RM Photo Gallery

Vietnamese Picnic

Make It
Fresh summer rolls

Buy It
Chili Garlic Dipping Sauce
Mango with Lime Zest and Toasted Coconut
Green Salad with Jicama
Iced Coffee

Fresh summer rolls
Makes 8

These refreshing appetizers aren’t hard to make, but they take a little practice. When prepping the rice paper wrappers, have patience—they’re slippery. Use tongs to remove them from the hot water so you don’t burn your digits, and soak a few extra to replace torn ones.

    1. In a large heatproof bowl, cover noodles with boiling-hot water and soak 15 minutes. Drain well in a sieve. Pat dry with paper towels and toss with lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside.

    2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add shrimp and saute, turning occasionally until cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in chili garlic sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.

    3. Combine cucumber and vinegar in a bowl.

    4. Line a cookie sheet or work surface with a damp paper towel and fill a shallow baking pan with boiling water. Soak one rice-paper round (making sure there are no holes) in water until pliable, about 30 seconds, then transfer with tongs to paper towel. Cover with another damp paper towel and repeat with remaining rice-paper rounds, stacking them between damp paper towels. Once finished, start the first roll by arranging one-eighth of herbs one inch from bottom edge of soaked rice paper, leaving at least a one-inch border on both sides. Line three shrimp on top of herbs, then layer with cucumber, noodles, carrots, and scallions. Tuck rice paper tightly around filling, then fold in ends and continue rolling. Transfer to a plate and cover with damp paper towels. Continue making seven more rolls the same way. Wrap each in a damp paper towel and chill up to six hours before serving. Bring rolls to room temperature before serving, and halve them diagonally for bite-size portions.



      Your one-stop shop for Vietnamese victuals is vnsupermarket.com. Pick up your rice paper wrappers there, along with chili garlic sauce (a little goes a long way and is best diluted with water or honey for dipping sauce), bean thread noodles, and other essentials such as fish sauce, which, when mixed with lime juice and sugar, makes a sweet-and-sour dressing for the salad. For killer Vietnamese coffee, add some ice and 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk to a thermos, then fill with 12 ounces of strong hot coffee (espresso is best).


      International House of Picnics


      1. Mediterranean Picnic


      2. Vietnamese Picnic


      3. Southern Picnic

Fresh summer rolls

$15

ingredients

    • 2 oz. bean thread noodles (cellophane or vermicelli)
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • Salt
    • 2 tsps sesame oil
    • 24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 2 tsps chili garlic sauce, or to taste
    • 8 8” rice paper rounds (aka spring roll skins)
    • 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
    • 1/3 cup mint leaves
    • 24 thin cucumber slices
    • 2 tsps rice vinegar
    • 1/2 cup coarsely grated carrot
    • 8 tsps thinly sliced scallions