PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK LOADER
These recipes, born from my experiences since starting 328North Farm in North Adams, are more than just a collection of ingredients and instructions.
They represent a heartfelt continuation of the culinary legacy I inherited from my mother, Nga Trang. Her passing in 2019 only deepened my commitment to my own family and propelled me to document these living memories.
These recipes highlight the crisp freshness of Vietnamese summer rolls, the vibrant tanginess of the pickles, and the rich savoriness of the dipping sauce. Each element plays a crucial role in creating the balance of flavors and textures that defined my mother’s cooking. I hope you can create your own magical rolls to share.
Gỏi Cuốn (Summer Salad Roll)
Ingredients
- 12–16 rice paper wrappers (I like the square kind)
- 3 dozen edible flower blossoms (violas, pansies, or nasturtiums)
- 1 cup cooked protein (tofu, shrimp, pork, or roasted squash)
- 1 cup cooked rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 cup mint leaves
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 cup pickled daikon and carrots (recipe below)
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 6 lettuce leaves, butter or leafy, torn into small pieces
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients and place on a tray or bowls/plates as you set up your rolling station. A clean, sanitized counter or cutting board would be a nice surface to make your rolls.
- Fill a wide, shallow dish with warm water, enough to submerge your rice paper into. Take 1 sheet of rice paper at a time and quickly submerge, no more than 5 seconds, so the rice paper is watered on all sides. Upon removing from water, shake off any excess then lay on rolling surface.
- As the rice paper is softening, start adding ingredients from the center down, overlapping ingredients, and leaving at least 1 inch of rice paper remaining; this method works for both round and square rice papers. I like to start by placing the edible flowers down first so they will show when you make your salad roll.
- Fold over right and left side of rice paper over laid out ingredients. Starting from the bottom, gently roll the rice paper away from you. Place on a plate and separate with herb leaves or a little neutral oil. Continue rolling until all ingredients are used up. Serve with Garlic and Cashew Sauce (recipe below).
Đồ Chua (Pickled daikon and carrots)
(True translation is “pickled stuff.”) If you’ve had banh mi, most likely you’ve had đồ chua. I add it to fresh herbs and lettuce-wrapped crispy spring rolls (chả giò) dipped in nước chấm with additional chilies.
Ingredients
- ½ pound carrots
- ½ pound daikon radish
- 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
- 4 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute (not honey)
- 1 cup filtered water
- ½ cup white or rice vinegar
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cut into matchsticks/julienne carrots and daikon. In a colander over a bowl, toss salt with carrots and daikon, allow to soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently rinse and squeeze excess water from vegetables. Add to sterilized jar(s).
- Heat sugar, water, and vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Pour cooled vinegar mixture over vegetables until completely submerged. Seal jars and allow to ferment on the counter for 2 to 4 days. After the first 24 hours, check the ferment every 12 hours and taste if the sourness is to your liking. Place in refrigerator, it will keep for a couple of weeks.
- Ferment will be different for each batch; humidity, heat, and air will play a part. I typically do a 2-day ferment, sometimes 4 during the winter months.
Garlic + Cashew Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, grape seed, or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
- 1 Thai bird chili (optional)
- 1 cup gluten-free vegan hoisin
- 1 cup crushed roasted cashews
- ½ cup coconut water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil, and sauté garlic, shallots, and chili (if using) until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add hoisin and cashews, mix well until bubbly. Add coconut water.
- Continue to stir for a few minutes until well combined and thickened. If you would like the sauce thicker, you may make a slurry with a mix of 1 tablespoon each of water and tapioca or corn starch.
