Rice Paper Salad Rolls with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

 * 1 lb thin asparagus, bottoms trimmed and discarded, with 4- to 5-inch tips remaining
 * 1 tsp sea salt
 * 1 tsp canola oil
 * 2 oz rice vermicelli
 * 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into long strips, ⅛ inch wide
 * 1 Japanese cucumber, peeled and sliced into long strips, ⅛ inch wide
 * ½ cup large fresh mint leaves
 * 1 small head red-leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
 * 8 to 10 (8½-inch-round) rice paper wrappers
 * Ginger Dipping Sauce

Directions

 * 1) Bring saucepan of water and sea salt to a boil over high heat.
 * 2) Blanch asparagus for 1 minute.
 * 3) Remove asparagus from water, rinse under cold water and set aside.
 * 4) Add oil to water and cook vermicelli about 2 minutes, or until tender.
 * 5) Drain and rinse under cold water.
 * 6) Leave noodles in cool water to prevent sticking together.
 * 7) Just before wrapping, drain noodles and place on cookie sheet, loosely covered with damp paper towel.
 * 8) Repeat with prepared vegetables, mint leaves and lettuce.
 * 9) Fill large mixing bowl with very hot water.
 * 10) Keep boiling water handy if temperature drops.
 * 11) Dip rice paper wrapper into water for several seconds; these soften after moistening.
 * 12) Remove from water and lay flat on work surface.
 * 13) Place 2 mint leaves on bottom half of wrapper.
 * 14) Layer small lettuce leaf, 2 asparagus spears and pieces of cucumber and carrot on top of mint.
 * 15) Top with 1 tablespoon of the noodles.
 * 16) Start rolling wrapper up tightly, folding right and left sides in over filling after first roll.
 * 17) Continue rolling rice paper and pressing in ingredients, keeping edges folded in, until packet is complete.
 * 18) Repeat procedure with rice papers until you have used up filling.
 * 19) Cut each roll in half, arrange attractively on platter and pass with Ginger Dipping Sauce.