The Veganette for Earth Eats: Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I am in love with the summer. In Brooklyn we spend these months successfully bypassing our under-ventilated rooms for windy bike rides through the city and cool evenings spent beer-clad on roofs. My diet during these hot days relies heavily on fresh vegetables and fruits. Raw rules! These Vietnamese summer rolls are fabulously versatile and can be altered to include any fresh veggies of your choice. They are a favorite of mine for a light dinner after a long hot day. Serve alongside a spicy homemade peanut sauce!

If you have never worked with rice paper wrappers, they can be a bit difficult, so be patient! The package comes with tons of wrappers, so don't worry if you tear a few and have to toss the ripped skins aside. The wrappers are brittle and become pliable when you soak them in hot water. Check out this helpful video for a few tips. 

Check out the Earth Eats blog to see the complete recipe!

Stay cool,
NRG

California Tomatoes

This is a picture of my hand in the sun holding a tomato on the Golden Gate Bridge. Last week I spent some long, bright days hiking and climbing in the sunny hills and long valleys of northern California with sweet old friends. Summer is here and the promise of good produce is upon us. Hooray! Most anticipated is the tomato. These delicious fruits are delights in their season and were rulers of our plates on my visit to golden California. Stuff with chickpea salad or enjoy an unencumbered slice drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

This beefy heirloom variety was plated with a circle of fresh basil leaves and a hefty crank of freshly ground pepper. A vegan caprese of sorts! You won't miss the mozzarella, I promise. It seems my old minolta is having a problem- all of my photos have this big black blur on the bottom- any film people have advice?

Three cheers for summer!

NRG