Roll your way through summer with this cool, no-cook supper
My kitchen overflows with vibrant summer produce, and I am too hot to cook. I’m too hot to eat. In fact, I’m too hot to do anything more than hold my wine slushie against my brow and dream of February. But around 6 p.m., my family starts poking around the kitchen in search of sustenance. Since these are the same people who heap wet swim towels adjacent to empty laundry baskets, I’m not inclined to jump up and put on a full spread. Instead I wave them toward the ingredients for my Citrusy Summer Rolls, which is a gluten-free, no-cook meal that even toweldroppers can make. If you think my recipe requires too much chopping for your current languid situation, skip to the last paragraph where I tell you how to cheat.
Summer rolls are mostly raw, unlike their fried spring roll cousins. Don’t be intimidated by the long-ish recipe. Simply cut up a bunch of fresh seasonal vegetables, toss in some shrimp, chicken or tofu, and gift-wrap the whole shebang in chewy rice paper wrappers. Any veggies will work, although I give preference to those that play well with fresh lime juice, like carrots and seedless cucumber. And I like to bundle my chopped veggies in lettuce leaves, which keeps the firmer vegetables from poking through the delicate rice paper wrapper. Slacker tip: taste your cucumber before peeling it. If the skin isn’t bitter, you can leave it on. If the skin IS bitter, well, you’ll probably spend more time looking