Spring in mid coast Maine

SPRING IS HERE!!! Well, at least according to the almanac. The ground is still frozen solid and the only sign of green is the errant St. Patricks day decoration left over from last week. Be that as it may, it is time to celebrate this wonderful season and what better way than to make some fresh spring rolls. These are wonderfully fresh and crunchy, a nice change from the braised cabbage and and roast pork that brought us through the winter.

What you will need:

12 rice paper wrappers. 8 inch works best.

6 oz rice vermicelli, soaked for 20 min in warm water and then drained.

1 1/2 cups fresh bean sprout, blanched in boiling water for 20 seconds and drained

6 medium shrimp, fresh or frozen, shelled and devained. Cut in half lengthwise.

1 cup grated carrot.

24 mint leaves.

2 tsp sugar.

2Tbsp rice or cider vinegar.

24 chives.

Dissolve sugar in vinegar and add grated carrots. Marinate 30 minutes. Drain

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook shrimp till just pink and firm. remove shrimp and let cool.

Now use the same boiling water to cook the vermicelli that has been soaking for 20 minutes. Cook until just tender and then place in a bowl with ice water to stop cooking. Drain.

On a flat,clean work surface lay out a damp tea towel or sack cloth (On the Schooner I use a recycled piece of cotton sail cloth) and next to this place a shallow pan of warm water. Remove one sheet of spring roll wrapper and place in pan of water. Allow to soak for a few seconds to soften. This is the tricky part and you may go through a few wrappers before you get the feel of it. Soak just long enough to become pliable. Now place the wrapper on the tea towel.

Place about 2 tsp of the grated carrot about a third of the way up from the bottom of the wrapper. Spread this out in a flat line and on top of this place about1 Tbsp of the drained noodles and an equal amount of bean sprouts.

Bring the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling and place two mint leaves on top and continue to roll till the mint is on the bottom. Now place two shrimp halves on top of the roll and fold the end of the wrap toward the center to seal and roll a half turn and place two chives at the crease. finish rolling and set aside, covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.

Finish the remaining rolls covering them each time to prevent them from drying out. Serve immediately or keep, covered and in the fridge for up to 2 hour in the fridge.

Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce or try this one.

Nuoc cham

In a bowl place 1/2 cup fresh lime juice and an equal amount fish sauce.

3 tsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp cane sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Serrano chiles, Minced

Now sit by the fire and watch the snow come down, it is spring in Maine after all.