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In the Kitchen with Spring Rolls and Steak
updated: Mar 13, 2010, 8:45 AM

By Leah Etling

All this talk about gardens on Edhat this week has got me really jealous.

Reading the beautiful descriptions of what people areplanting, seeing David Powdrell's artistic vegetable and fruit photos, have made me long for a garden of my own. We live in an apartment where no gardening is possible (the one time our neighbor tried to plant tomatoes, the gardeners ripped them out and threw them in the trash), so I'll have to enjoy other people's gardens and appreciate the Farmer's Market that much more.

Both of this week's recipes are fresh veggie heavy, and the first one is so easy to make that maybe it's silly to share it. But I loved it so maybe you will too.

We've been making lots of Thai and Vietnamese inspired dishes lately, and on a recent trip to World Market, I picked up some rice paper wrappers to make spring rolls. On the Farmer's Market list - butter lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, green onion, mint, and from the grocer, shrimp and raw peanuts to chop.

I'm intimidated by the raw, live fresh shrimp from the Farmer's Market. Though I love to eat them, I hate the idea of dropping them into a pot of boiling water while they're still squirming. Much easier to buy shelled and deveined and quickly cook them in butter, garlic and a little lemon.

Once that's done, assembly is easy. The wrappers go into a bowl of water briefly and you can let your guests assemble their own creations individually.

For peanut dipping sauce, I am totally happy with Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette. It's a dressing that gets a lot of use in our house, from a salad topping to a marinade, and it made an excellent dip for these rolls.

The next recipe was a first-try winner (which was good, because we had people over) and I highly recommend it. It's a stir fry with red rice, sirloin steak, and rich garden greens like chard or kale.

Stir-Fried Red Rice with Sliced Sirloin Steak and Peas (From the most recent Food and Wine)

(To make this quick on the back end, prep the red rice ahead of time. Just cook the desired amount and put it in the fridge. I'd never had red rice before and found it to be delicious. They don't have it everywhere - try Whole Foods or El Rancho Market in the Santa Ynez Valley.)

½ cup red rice, cooked in one cup of water. Set aside.

Prep the steak by slicing and seasoning with a little salt and pepper.

In a wok or large skillet, heat 1-tablespoon vegetable oil. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add the steak. Cook it just until browned (only about 2 minutes) and remove.

Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, a diced medium sweet onion, and 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger. Cook for about five minutes, then add 4 cups of shredded greens. Kale, Swiss chard and beet greens are recommended. When greens are wilting, add the rice, 1 cup of peas, steak, and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Season with a small amount of white pepper. Top with cilantro garnish and provide lime slices.

I have failed you with a photo, we were having too much fun eating, but I can assure you that this has been my favorite new recipe that I've tried this year. If you are not a meat eater, there's probably a tofu substitute that could be used here too.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 62850P	2010-03-13 03:34 PM
Leah, great recipe, and it's gluten-free. Do you have any other gluten-free recipes? I've been recently buying gf pies, quiche, and cheesecake at Simply Pies on Hollister. FAB-U-LOUS!
COMMENT 62851	2010-03-13 03:46 PM
You can go in with your neighbor and have a garden plot on State Street. You can donate the food to the homeless, if you want. Here's the information: ************************************************ Garden Plots Offered! New Community Garden at Grace Lutheran Church, 3869 State St. $45/year for a 4 X 8 ft bed, $55 for a 4 X 12 ft bed, $65 for a 4 X 16 ft bed. Call Garden Coordinator, Ned Nelson, 967-8993 or the church at 687-2628. The church provides tools. Growers can keep the food for themselves or donate it to the church, which provides free food to the community the first two Saturdays of the month. Food not to be grown for sale.
COMMENT 62918P	2010-03-14 09:05 AM
You are a wonderful writer. I've enjoyed your travels columns, Leah. Why don't you rent one of the garden plots, and write about your gardening adventures?
SEEDLADY	2010-03-14 09:28 AM
Leah, can you tell me if there are any local sources of raw honey or bee pollen? I'm starting to have allergy problems and want to try adding these to my diet to see if they help. Another bit of encouragement from me to get a garden going somewhere. It can lower your BP and is (fairly) cheap therapy. The local chapter of Food Not Lawns in SB has seed swaps so you can get a lot FREE.
COMMENT 62931	2010-03-14 10:27 AM
You can always get rice wrappers at the Indo-China market out by K-Mart...easy and delicious!
COMMENT 62934P	2010-03-14 10:51 AM
http://www.sbfarmersmarket.org/farmers.php lists farmers in S.B., and if you click on San Marcos Farms, it's this: San Marcos Farms is a producer of local honey, bee pollen, and beeswax candles. We pride ourselves in delivering the very best to the community. You will find our products at local Santa Barbara Farmers Markets and several local grocers in the area. Contact us at (805)681-0312 for prices, availability, and orders. Email: info@sanmarcosfarms.com
COMMENT 62941	2010-03-14 11:30 AM
Leah you are a delight to read. I too love spring rolls and make a simple dipping sauce as follows. Fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, pinch of salt & sugar, some shreaded carrot, and dash of hot sauce. Just mix amounts to your own taste. Enjoy!
AKIMBO	2010-03-15 07:18 PM
Can't wait to have a make-your-own spring rolls night at our house...yum, thanks for the recipe and suggestion!

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