Hello February and Welcome friends and Mustard Mavens,
I am learning about the Chinese New Year celebrations and specifically Longevity Noodles, one of the many rich and meaningful aspects of their celebration. How better to celebrate 2020 than eating noodles and call them “Longevity Noodles?”
I associate noodles and noodle-making and now “Longevity Noodles” with the Senior Center in Eustis, Nebraska. The Eustis Senior Center and Buzz Savories commercial kitchen are a short walk apart, and I am a regular noodle customer at the Senior Center.
May I introduce you to the Eustis, Nebraska Senior Center and their members who make and pack and market noodles?
The Eustis noodles although shorter than the Chinese version serve as our flavorful alternative to “Longevity Noodles.”
The Village of Eustis was established in 1876, and the recipe for noodles arrived with the first German families who settled in the Loess Canyon country to farm and build schools, churches, banks, businesses, grocery stores and homes.
The Eustis Senior Center started in 1984 at which time, the members began making noodles commercially to help support their Center.
noodle-making process
Members of the Senior Center sell the noodles at the annual Eustis Craft Fair, St. Nicholas Day Celebration in December, and S&H Grocery on Eustis Mainstreet. They fulfill regular orders from churches in Lincoln for soup fund raisers and special events. The Germans From Russia,a Lincoln, Nebraska population purchase the noodles on a regular basis.
The Eustis Senior Center noodle makers cut the noodles in two widths – narrow and wide. They serve the narrow widths in their rich and satisfying chicken noodle soup. The wide often appear on the menu at the Senior Center in a beef tip and noodle casserole.
How to purchase? Speak with Diane Koch, Senior Center Manager at 308 486 3471
or Email – [email protected]
Photographs of the Eustis Senior Center noodle-making process by Don Brockmeier, Photographer who lives in Eustis, Nebraska and often enjoys eating these marvelous noodles.
These superior noodles take an ordinary soup into sumptious and the same with chicken and noodle in casserole. See my current favorite recipe for these special noodles.
Why do I consider the Eustis Senior Center noodles special? 1) Fresh ingredients and fresh on the shelf 2) bursting with noodle flavor 3) sturdy (keep their shape and bite yet tender
Eustis Senior Center noodles raise an ordinary chicken noodle soup to spectacular. I also make a baked noodle recipe that I serve as a main dish with a fresh cranberry sauce or add chunks of leftover or freshly sauteed chicken, and these noodles freeze well too.
Longevity Noodle Bake with Mustard Cream Sauce
Servings 4
What You'll Need:
- 8 oz noodles
- 1 large shallot or 1 small mild onion, or 1 bunch onions (white parts only and save greens for garnish dice or thinly slice the onions you select
- 1 Tb. butter or olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 Tb. Spicy Beer Mustard
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried thyme (optional)
- ½ cup whipping cream
- pinch salt & pepper salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tb. fresh parsley, finely minced for garnishing
- 1 lb. ½ inch chunks of cooked chicken (optional)
How To Prepare:
- In a 2 quart sauce pan, boil water and add 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. Drop the noodles into the pot and boil for no more than 12 minutes and maybe less. Taste for doneness. These noodles are fresh and tender and take less time to cook than store-bought noodles.
- In a medium size skillet, melt 1 Tb. of butter or olive oil.
- Saute' the shallot, diced onion or bunch onions until soft although not brown.
- Pour in the chicken broth and toss in the thyme springs or dried thyme. Simmer the chicken broth and thyme mixture until it reduces by ½ of its volume (5 minutes). Remove the thyme sprigs.
- Turn heat to a low simmer and slowly add cream and Spicy Beer Mustard. You may need less because the cream thickens the sauce quickly and when the sauce feels velvety to the tongue, it is finished. If the sauce seems skimpy, add chicken broth to extend it. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it with chicken broth and too thin, add more cream.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with the cooked noodles.
- Butter or spray a casserole dish and pour in the noodle mixture.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Notes
You may add leftover chicken or saute a chicken breast prior to making the casserole. I usually make a double recipe of the sauce and noodles because any leftover (doubtful) make a lovely soup. Simply add chicken broth and freeze or serve again.
Meet my friend, Mike Ford in his fascinating and beautifully appointed kitchen store on Norris Avenue in McCook, NE.. Mike knows of which he is speaking concerning lots of topics although we usually speak about pots, pans, knives, utensils, coffees, olive oil, and condiments and hundreds of other must-have items. Seeing Known & Yates and meeting Mike Ford warrant a drive to McCook. My experience has shown me that Knowlen & Yates offers quality kitchen products in a wide variety and all for moderate prices.
Don Brockmeier, Photographer
