Flavors of Vietnam: Part I

For a light, refreshing summer treat, try Vietnamese-style spring rolls.  The simple process is outlined below for Food Pope readers:

Start with a nice array of fresh vegetables, sliced julienne style and matchstick-thin.  Some of my favorites are carrot, asparagus, and radish.  Thinly-sliced avocado is also nice, and if you're a seafood fan, sliced cooked shrimp is also very tasty.

Hydrate vermicelli noodles by pouring very hot water over them and letting them sit for 15 minutes.  Strain the noodles in cold water.  Using shallow pan, hydrate spring roll wrappers in water until they are completely transparent and pliable.

Place your vegetables in the wrapper and carefully roll, folding over both sides first and then rolling.  A little oil between each spring roll keeps them from sticking to each other.

Slice the finished spring roll and serve with your favorite sauce.  Thai sweet chili sauce or thai peanut sauce are both wonderful.

Martin Yan has a recipe for salad rolls that looks absolutely wonderful and I hope to try soon:
http://yancancook.com/recipes/Quick-and-Easy/selected.php?CHOICE=show_05_fresh_salad_rolls_with_shrimp