Spring Rolls

Ingredients

2 ounces rice vermicelli
2/3 cup coarsely snipped cilantro leaves
2/3 cup coarsely snipped mint leaves
3 ounces carrots, peeled and grated (about 1/2 cup tightly packed)
1/4 pound bean sprouts or slivered cucumber
2 heaped Tb pickled ginger, chopped or cut into fine slivers
8 large romaine lettuce leaves, washed, dried, and cut into thin chiffonade
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tb chinese or dark sesame oil
lots of freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
20 small round dry rice flour wrappers, about 6" in diameter

Instructions

makes 20 small spring rolls, serving 10 as an appetizer. Soak the rice vermicelli in warm water for about 20-30 min, until tender. Drain and break them apart. Pat dry with paper towels and transfer to a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients except the wrappers and toss together. Taste and adjust seasonings. One at a time, place a wrapper in a bowl of hot water for about 30 sec, until tender. Remove from the water, drain onto a kitchen towel, and lay out on the towel. Place a heaped Tb slightly off center (closer to you) in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling and roll up tightly. The spring roll should be about 1 1/2 to 2" long. Arrange the spring rolls on a plate and continue until you've used up all of the filling. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until shortly before serving.