Fresh Spring Rolls

I love making spring rolls in the winter when I am trying to call in the brightness of summer….

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced (I often use a peeler to get the thin strips we enjoy in the spring rolls)

• 2-ish cups cabbage, thinly sliced into ribbons

• 1 small beet, thinly sliced (same thing with the vegetable peeler for thin ribbons)

• 1 watermelon radish or daikon radish, thinly sliced (or with vegetable peeler)

• 1 cup-ish leek, thinly sliced into ribbons

• 2 large handfuls of mesclun mix (or baby kale, baby chard, claytonia, or spinach), finely chopped

• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

• rice paper wrappers

• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce

• 3 TBSP maple syrup

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 3 TBSP toasted sesame oil

• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 TBSP peanut butter (optional)

  Mix the carrots, cabbage, beet, radish, leeks, cilantro, and greens in a bowl. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water that will be big enough to place a rice paper wrapper in. Submerge a rice paper wrapper in the bowl, and when it is totally pliable, remove from the water and put on a flat surface. Add about 1/2 cup of the mixed veggies in the center of the wrapper in a rectangle. Fold the two short ends in and then roll the rest of it up, tucking in the ends. Repeat this until you are out of veggies or wrappers. (Feel free to use any extra prepared veggies in a stir fry.) Whisk together the tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, toasted sesame seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes, and peanut butter for the dipping sauce. Enjoy!