Looking for summer entertaining tips? For a chic tabletop, try keeping the décor to a blue-and-white theme — a Tory favorite — while mixing prints, patterns and even blooms. With that simple tone-on-tone scheme, everything ties together. Here, the lunch offerings range from mixed salads and fresh pastas to Vietnamese summer rolls. We got the recipe for the latter — also a Tory favorite — straight from Chef Dana Minuta.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Serves six

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1 tsp minced serrano chilies
1/4 c fresh lime juice
2 tb water
2 tb Thai fish sauce
1 tb brown sugar

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning. Add more fish sauce if you prefer a saltier flavor (or just add salt). Set aside.

Summer Rolls

Ingredients:
1/4 pound rice vermicelli
12 rounds of rice paper (bánh tráng)
2 scallions, minced
1 mango, julienned
1 avocado, sliced
1 large beet, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
1 kirby cucumber, juilienned
24 leaves fresh mint
26 leaves fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper as needed

Directions:
Cook rice vermicelli according to instructions on package. Rinse with cold water, drain, place in a bowl and dress with three tb of dipping sauce. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as necessary.

Place a dampened paper towel large enough to fit the rice paper round onto a cutting board. Line a plate with dampened paper towels to hold summer rolls while preparing, and have another dampened paper towel ready to cover summer rolls while preparing.

Fill a pie plate or other bowl with hot water — large enough to be able to submerge the rice paper into it. Place rice paper into bowl with water and let it sit until it is soft and pliable. Place softened rice paper onto the dampened paper towel.

For each roll, on the lower third of rice paper, place some of the rice vermicelli, scallions, mango, avocado, beet, carrot, cucumber, two mint leaves and three cilantro leaves. Leave 1/2″ on either side of the filling so you can fold in the rice paper. Roll softened rice paper up over filling (like a burrito), fold in sides and continue rolling very tightly upward until rice paper seals onto itself. Place completed roll onto plate lined with damp paper towels and cover roll with other dampened paper towels while you complete rest of the rolls. Repeat this process for all rolls.

When ready to serve, slice each summer roll on the diagonal with a very sharp knife and arrange on a platter. Serve dipping sauce on side in a small decorative bowl. If you are serving these as hors d’oeuvres, we recommend spooning some of the dipping sauce into each summer roll instead of on the side to avoid having your guests drip the sauce onto their clothing.