Summer Squash Rolls

By their nature, summer squash plants are prolific — just a few can inundate a home gardener with a big harvest in no time at all. And the plants don’t grow any differently at the scale of a farm! Market Garden Assistant Manager Lynn Wolfe explains that succession planting is the key to a steady, but bountiful, harvest throughout the summer. “We start all of our squash seeds in the greenhouse and transplant the seedlings in three to four waves throughout the season.” Lynn elaborates, “The first wave is grown in a hoophouse, which harnesses the sun’s energy to warm the soil and air inside so we can have our first harvest early in the summer. The following successions are transplanted in the fields as the temperatures have warmed enough to support the plants’ growth. Waiting between planting allows us to harvest throughout the summer; ideally, as one wave dies off, we have timed the planting correctly so we’re able to begin harvesting from the next.”

But there is still a lot of squash for the Inn Kitchen to process on harvest days! Chef John Patterson created this no-cook summer snack in response to this particular abundance: a delicious, Summer Roll that is as flexible with ingredients as it is simple. Use what you have coming out of your garden or from your local farms: cucumbers, peppers, basil, parsley—if it fits in the rice wrapper, it is worth a try (our summer campers can attest to many creative combinations)!

Chef John Patterson’s Summer Squash Rolls

Ingredients

(Filling)

• ½ lb medium sized green squash, cut to julienne
• ½ lb medium yellow squash, cut to julienne
• ¼ lb medium carrot, cut to julienne
• 1 medium onion, cut in half, core removed and remainder cut to julienne
• 10 leaves mint
• 15 leaves cilantro
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• ½ t sugar
• ½ t kosher salt + 1 t for seasoning
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• ¼ C toasted almonds, chopped
• 1 pack rice paper

(Sweet Chile Sauce)

• 10 oz can of roasted red peppers, liquid drained
• 1 t Sriracha chile paste
• ¼ C maple syrup
• ½ C rice wine vinegar

Directions

1. Combine julienned onions with sugar and ½ t salt. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Dress with red wine vinegar and set in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes. They will hold well covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2. Combine squash, carrots, pickled onion, and herbs. Toss to evenly distribute ingredients. Add lime zest and juice, toasted almonds, and remaining salt. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
3. To make the dipping sauce, add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth (usually 1-2 minutes). Transfer sauce to a small bowl and reserve.
4. To assemble the rolls, start by soaking rice paper sheets in room temperature water for 15-20 seconds, or until pliable. Carefully spread the softened rice paper on a clean work surface. Place 3 T of the filling in a line towards the middle of the rice paper sheet. It helps to keep your hands wet during this stage. Begin by folding one layer of the rice paper around the filling, then tucking the sides inward to secure the filling. Continue rolling the filling until all of the rice paper has been used. Once filled, these will hold covered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.