Happy 4th of July! Here’s to colorful floral recipe that will fill your holiday weekend with flowering delight. Gather upyour edible blooms (chives, pansies, nasturtiums, etc), as well as your garden-fresh vegetables and herbs, and let’s roll! These Spring Rolls add an artful touch to the table and they taste just as lovely as they look. The best part is the vibrant carrot miso. Enjoy!
*Yield: 18 spring rolls
Ingredients:
1, 7-oz Package Rice Sticks (or bean thread noodles)
4 Cups Napa Cabbage, very thinly sliced
2 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves, stems removed & thinly sliced
3 Tbsp Cilantro Leaves, stems removed
¼ Cup Fresh Mint, julienned
2 Scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal
½ Cup Fresh Thai or Italian Basil Leaves, stems removed & julienned
1 ½ Cups Edible Organic Flowers, stems removed
18 Spring Roll Wrappers, tapioca or rice flour
1 Cup Vegenaise
2 Tsp Sriracha
Recipe:
In a medium size saucepan bring 2 quarts water to a boil; add noodles and cook for 3 minutes, stirring a few times to assure the noodles are submerged and cook evenly. Drain well, rinsing under cold water until noodles are cold (or use ice bath). Drain well when chilled.
Set up assembly area on a flat, smooth work surface. Gently toss cabbage, spinach, cilantro, mint, scallions, and ¼ cup basil leaves together in a large bowl to distribute ingredients evenly. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the Vegenaise, reserved 1/4 cup of Thai basil and Sriracha. Set aside.
To soften the spring roll wrappers, fill a large pan (wide enough to lay spring roll wrapper out flat) with a couple inches of hot water. Place one spring wrapper into the water, submerging completely for about 30 seconds until it is soft and pliable. Remove the spring roll wrapper, shaking to remove excess water and lay flat on work surface.
Arrange a few edible flowers face down in a 4-inch row at the center of the wrapper. Place ½ cup of vegetable and herb mixture on top of edible flowers, add 2 – 3 dollops of Vegenaise mixture, top with ¼ cup of noodles.
To roll the Spring roll, roll the edge nearest you over the top of the ingredients, then pull back slightly to secure the ingredients in the fold. Bring right side over to the middle, then the left side over to the middle, and roll up tightly to form the spring roll (as if making a burrito). Place in a prepared damp 2 paper towel lined container; cover spring roll with another wet paper towel or lettuce leaf to keep from drying out. Continue with remaining spring rolls.
Store in an air-tight container lined with damp paper towels in a single layer.
Carrot Miso Dip
Yields: 1 Cup
2 Medium Carrots, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp Expeller-pressed Canola Oil
¼ Cup Unseasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
3 Tbsp White Shiro Miso
1 (1-inch) Piece Ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tsp Evaporated Cane Sugar
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Put the carrots and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse and blend until the carrots are ground into very small pieces. Add all of the remaining ingredients, plus 1 tablespoon water, and blend until emulsified. The dressing will be thick. If too thick, add another tablespoon of water and blend to the desired consistency. Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake well before using.
Recipe courtesy of our friends at The Kitchen For Exploring Foods in Pasadena, California. Photo by Michelle Beller.
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