By this point in the summer, I’m dreaming of cooler days and refreshing meals. Fresh limeade, doused with chilled sparkling water, gives me energy to concoct a casual meal with friends.

For inspiration, look to countries known for steamy days and refreshing, cool-down-the-day offerings. In Mexico’s Yucatan, for example, chilled ceviche and shrimp cocktails take the heat out of summer. So do the seared thin slices of pork known as poc chuc, served with citrusy habanero salsa and warm corn tortillas.

In Greece, barely dressed salads of tomato, cucumber and feta cheat the heat of midday just perfectly. Likewise, salads of fish with lemon cool off Amalfi coast evenings.

Translucent rice papers, holding cold noodles, proteins and veggies in a tightly wrapped bundle, popular in Vietnamese cooking, just might be the perfect antidote to a hot day. Zesty dipping sauces make any spring roll soar.

Since I’m a novice at rolling a perfect spring roll, I’ll let guests assemble their own.

Think of this as an interactive meal, akin to a taco party or salad bar. Guests select their own fillings, dip a rice paper round in water and roll everything together. For heartier eaters, offer 3-inch segments of French bread to assemble into a sandwich instead of a spring roll.

All the work is in the prep, starting with the dipping sauces. There’s the classic combo of fish sauce and lime juice, but I prefer to mix things up a bit with a chimichurri sauce packed with garden herbs. A peanut sauce, made from crunchy peanut butter, umami-packed fish sauce and red chili, proves richer.

For the filling, a quick beef stir-fry, served warm or at room temperature, is a nonconventional, but delicious idea. Cold shrimp also tastes great tucked in with the rice noodles, vegetables and herbs. Other filling ideas include sliced grilled shrimp or pork tenderloin, seared tofu, steamed asparagus. When time is short, I peruse the local salad bar for fillings such as shrimp salad, grilled vegetables, even bean salads.

The ingredient amounts suggested here make enough for four guests to assemble two or three rolls each. Double everything for hearty eaters or more guests.

Cut-up melons make a refreshing accompaniment, or try a chilled green bean salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Have plenty of fresh limeade and chilled beer available. For dessert, offer frozen fruit pops. On really hot days, we set up an inflatable pool for guests to soak their feet. Hey, whatever works.

Middle of Summer Spring Rolls with Beef and Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

Peanut hoisin dipping sauce, see recipe

Green onion and cilantro chimichurri, see recipe

12 ounces cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp

1 cup shredded red bell pepper or carrots

Glazed beef filling with red onion and hoisin, see recipe

4 ounces thin rice vermicelli

Leaves from heads of baby Romaine lettuce

Thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh basil (preferably Thai basil) leaves

1/2 cup tender fresh cilantro sprigs

1 package (12 ounces) rice paper, about 30 sheets

Fresh lime wedges

1. Make dipping sauces.

2. Pat shrimp dry and place in a serving bowl. Cut red bell peppers or carrots. Refrigerate until serving time.

3. Put noodles into a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak, stirring occasionally, until tender when tasted, about 15 minutes. Drain well and place in a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature.

4. Shortly before serving, make glazed beef filling to use warm or at room temperature.

5. Arrange lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber slices and herbs on a platter. Put rice papers on a plate. Put the platter, along with the beef filling, shrimp, noodles and dipping sauces on a table. Have a large shallow bowl of water on the table.

6. To assemble each roll, dip a rice paper very briefly in the water just long enough to wet it. Put the wet paper on a plate, arrange a few toppings as desired on one half of the rice paper round. Fold two sides of the paper over the fillings, then roll to enclose everything.

7. Enjoy rolls as you make them, ladling on the sauces as desired. Repeat.

Glazed Beef Filling with Red Onion and Hoisin

Makes about 2 cups

Note: This beef dish also tastes great served over rice or soaked rice noodles.

1 pound well-trimmed, tender beef steak, such as sirloin, ribeye, filet or strip

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 small red onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for high-heat cooking, such as avocado oil, safflower or grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as a combination of basil, chives, mint, parsley

Fresh lime wedges

1. Cut beef into 3/4-inch pieces and mix with sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon water with hoisin sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch until smooth. Cut onion in half, then cut each half into thin wedges.

2. Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil, then beef in a single, uncrowded layer. Cook and turn beef until seared on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

3. Add onion to skillet. Cook and stir until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in sauce mixture and heat through. Add beef and heat through to coat with sauce, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and herbs.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pass lime wedges.

Peanut Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Makes a generous ½ cup

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons each: soy sauce, dark sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1. Mix peanut butter and water until incorporated. Stir in hoisin, vinegar or lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add pepper flakes to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. Serve at room temperature. Sauce can be refrigerated for two or three days.

Green Onion and Cilantro Chimichurri

Makes a generous 1/2 cup

4 green onions with green tops, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as avocado oil or expeller pressed canola

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh lime juice or 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons refrigerated ginger puree or grated fresh gingerroot

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1. Put green onions and oil into a small blender or food processor. Process until nearly smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Process until coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve at room temperature. Sauce can be refrigerated for several hours before serving.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2026 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.