Cooking and travel blog by Gerlinde de Broekert

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

4/27/2015

A tasty vegan salad that will please a crowd and is great for any party or picnic.

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

I have made this salad for many years and on many occasions but never for 50 people. The recipe comes from one of my old well-loved cook books, The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Ed Brown. Deborah Madison was Greens' founding chef. Ed Brown is well known for his Tassajara Bread Book and so many other inspiring books on the Zen of cooking. I adore his books. If you are in San Fransisco, this well-loved vegetarian restaurant in Ford Mason has been an icon of gourmet vegetarian food for many years. It is a real San Francisco experience.

At this time last year, I was in Marrakech for a week with a group of wonderful people including a very dear friend of mine. We had a great time exploring the sights and Moroccan culture. Since I was with a group of Germans and Swiss, everybody assumed that I also was German. Who am I? German, American, or am I the sum of both? Here in the States, people ask me where I am from. I look at them and say Santa Cruz, especially when I am at home in Santa Cruz. You see, after all these years, I still have a slight accent. When I am in Germany, people can't figure out where I'm from. I don't have an accent when I speak German, but I am different in the way I behave and dress. I don't fit the mold. I don't belong anymore. These are subtle things. I love my German family and friends and I know that I am one of them, but my home is in Santa Cruz and that's where I am fortunate enough to live. I do miss going back to my mother and my childhood home. My mom is gone now and there isn't a day when I don't miss her—and the home and the love she gave me. My brother and his family are still at the farm, but I'm not ready to go back quite yet because it will not be the same.

Life continues, it goes on and it is beautiful. I have so many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my dear friends, Diane and George, and their beautiful serene mountain retreat. It is a dream, even when it rains on the day of a big party. We were celebrating a birthday and a soon-to-be-married beautiful granddaughter. It was the only rain we had in months here in California, so nobody was complaining. An old spinnaker sail was hoisted over the picnic tables and it kept out most of the precious rain drops. There was a big, beautiful, smoked ham from the Corralitos Meat Market local butcher, and much more delicious food.

I volunteered to make my Chinese noodle salad for 50 people. My big turkey fryer was the only container large enough to transport this humongous salad.
It was a lot of work, a labor of love.

If you are looking for a refreshing drink for a lunch or party, try my strawberry punch or Erdbeerbowle as we call it in Germany. This is a wonderful way to drink your fruit.

preview recipe

47 Comments

Cecile @ My Yellow Farmhouse link

4/28/2015 10:03:45 am

This salad looks lovely - and I'm sure it's delicious. Wow - salad for 50!! That's A LOT of salad!! I'm going to 'pin' the recipe - want to make it this summer!!

Gerlinde

4/28/2015 12:39:55 pm

Cecile, the salad is a real crowd pleaser and you could make it without the asparagus. The original recipe called for eggplants that you bake whole ( pierce the skin) in a preheated oven (400 degrees), peel and marinate the pieces in the dressing.

Birgit Weskamp link

4/28/2015 11:24:53 am

Beautiful blog, and that salad looks wonderful!

4/28/2015 12:41:08 pm

Thanks Birgit, I will have to make it for you and Robert.

EllaDee link

4/28/2015 11:51:35 am

The mountain top retreat looks wonderful, and despite the rain so does the weather.
Chinese noodle salad is always a hit. This version looks substantial and fresh, a great standalone for vegetarians, or an accompaniment.
My family often have bring a plate events, and I have made similar but this version is more sophisticated... I love asparagus :)

4/28/2015 12:49:06 pm

EllaDee, that mountain retreat is a great place on top of a mountain. My friends have been working on it for the last 30 years. It has so many nooks and crannies. I love it. The pictures I posted are from last Fall, I was too busy helping on the day of the event.

Dedy@Dentist Chef link

4/29/2015 03:08:31 am

simply damn deliicous and comforting noodle salad!!!

4/29/2015 04:13:09 am

Thank you Dedy

5/11/2015 12:21:59 pm

I just had this chinese noodle salad, with asparagus and greeen tea flavoured soba noodle and it's terrific!!!

Deb|eastofEdenCooking link

4/29/2015 03:46:15 am

What an ambitious project! An exceptional salad to share with family and friends! Although I enjoy eggplant the asparagus just screams spring in this wonderful recipe.

4/29/2015 04:19:20 am

Thanks Deb, I made this salad a long time ago using eggplants and I remember liking it. My husband won't eat anything that has eggplants in it .

Maureen link

4/30/2015 07:56:35 am

I moved to Australia after my children had children of their own and after years here, my kids say I have an Australian accent. I don't. My Aussie friends laugh when I tell them that. You're right though, it's not the accent it's the words you use. I say tomahto instead of tomayto just because it's easier here but I get laughed at back home.

What a healthy and delicious salad this is! I'd like one now.

5/1/2015 09:02:22 am

Having spent so much time in Germany last year I really noticed the difference in culture and style. When I first came to US I lived near Boston and people still tell me I have a little bit of a New England accent. We are who we are!

TheKitchenLioness

5/1/2015 09:46:57 pm

Gerlinde, was für ein schöner Post - ich kann deine Gefühle gut verstehen. Ich habe lange Zeit im Ausland gelebt und studiert und habe immer gesagt wenn ich an einem Ort bin vermisse ich den anderen Ort...Also, ich koche ja viel und gerne, aber einen so wunderbaren Salat für 50 habe ich noch nicht fertig gebracht - respect, dear friend, respect! Das Rezept hört sich toll an - wir können uns gerade vor Spargel kaum retten und ich such immer nach neuen Ideen!
Liebe Grüße - ich hoffe, ihr habt euch gut erholt in der Ferien,
Andrea

5/1/2015 11:27:52 pm

Andrea, vielen Dank für den schönen Kommentar. Du hast recht, woimmer wir sind fehlt etwas oder jemand von einem anderen Ort.
Bei uns gibt es keinen weißen Spargel und ich vermisse Ihn sehr.

Mary Ann | the beach house kitchen link

5/4/2015 03:12:37 am

Asparagus has always been one of my favorite vegetables and I am slowly winning my husband over! I'll have to try this and your strawberry punch too!

5/4/2015 02:13:01 pm

I really like the white asparagus you get in Germany. It is such a delicacy when in season. The strawberry punch has been a big hit at my parties, especially for a lunch or afternoon event.

nancy at good food matters link

5/4/2015 08:34:47 pm

lovely post, Gerlinde. Your noodle salad is the ideal dish for a potluck.
I especially like your strawberry punch, now that local berries are starting to arrive at our farmers markets. I enjoyed reading about you, and your feelings about your homeland and your adopted home.

5/5/2015 02:12:46 am

Nancy, I will try to make it to your book reading in Berkeley. If you came to Santa Cruz visit me, I would love to meet you.

Bam's Kitchen link

5/4/2015 11:46:26 pm

Gerlinde, what a gorgeous salad. A huge one at that!!! I know how you feel about not feeling like you belong anywhere as we no longer fit in. We don't exactly fit into our host country and we have changed and the people that live back at home have not so we will never really fit back there either. However, there are so many of us "third culture kids/adults" out there. So give a shout out if you need a virtual hug!

5/5/2015 02:17:31 am

Bam, you really know how to express my feelings. Thank you so much. I love the virtual hug, it made my day!

Cecilia link

5/5/2015 05:13:21 am

This is a recipe I would immediately make. It looks and sounds so delicious. Thanks for the inspiration.

5/6/2015 02:47:28 am

Thank you Cecilia

Kimberly @ KimRidge Farm link

5/6/2015 11:43:52 pm

Who am I? 24601! http://www.metrolyrics.com/who-am-i-lyrics-les-miserables.html

When people ask you where you are from, the answer you provide has meaning that is significant to you, and only you. You might as well tell them that you are from Burkina Faso. They know no difference. Not that they are ignorant. Many of them know many things. It's just that the response does not mean as much to them, as it means to you.

It is how YOU feel when you identify with a nation, that's what's important.

My Norwegian Viking father or German reservation Russian mother have no meaning to me. I am none of that. I am a person who lives on this planet and does what she likes to do.

When people ask me where I am from, I blubber something insignificant and the conversation moves on. They don't really want to know the deep meaning of our ancestry. It's only a check mark. But they are still my good friends and they want my home-made soap and ask for my duck eggs.

When I lived in Belgium, I traveled to Germany to buy all of my house appliances and electronics. Because they are the best. I think Germany has the best economy and the lowest taxes in the whole European continent.

I make sauerkraut from scratch, I love your schnitzel (my mom used to make it), and I think that German food is one of the greatest.

Kimberly

5/7/2015 02:47:34 am

People seem to be polite when they ask me where I'm from, so I assume they are just curious. When I was working there were a couple of things that bothered me and hurt my feelings. But they were very many people that were helpful and caring towards me.
Let me know if you want any other German recipes.

5/8/2015 07:51:09 pm

Yes, I agree. People do try to be very polite. It used to hurt my feelings too. It is a very sensitive issue. And, at the same time, I think that you and I are very lucky people because we have experienced different countries and cultures. And we can bring to the table (no pun intended) not only good food, but also a lot of knowledge of cultures. I think it's wonderful.

Thank you for offering German recipes. I do have one request. My mom used to make Hasenpfeffer. I liked it a lot, but never learned from her how to make it. Her recipe was a bit unusual. She used to marinade her rabbit meet in sauerkraut. It was delicious. I had tried many recipes and found that I'd never come close to her creation. (She was a chef at a restaurant). But I am not willing to give up :) I really would like to learn how to make a good Hasenpfeffer.

Do you have an authentic recipe to share? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you,

Kimberly

6/14/2018 10:09:24 pm

Kimberly , I found several German Recipe, I picked the one I liked the best. Does it look like your Mom's recipe?
https://www.kuechengoetter.de/rezepte/hasenpfeffer-67599

sippitysup link

5/7/2015 05:26:52 am

Home is where the heart is and Santa Cruz is a beautiful place to call. I'm sure your love of Germany will always be there too. Love the tick spears of asparagus in this salad. It's a "home" run (sorry bad joke). GREG

5/7/2015 02:42:17 pm

Thank you Greg, that's funny.

Pamela link

5/7/2015 10:29:54 pm

Yes, I think 'home,' our original place, is always within us, no matter where we belong now. And yes, you are so lucky to live in Santa Cruz! I was visiting the bay area the last weekend of April when you posted this about getting rain a year ago. We (Landmarks - historical society) had a huge walking event on Saturday morning. It poured on Friday night, but fortunately stopped by the time our 400+ walkers came to WALK THEIR HISTORY up the hills in town. Wish we'd had some of your Chinese Noodle Salad to offer at the end of the walk!

5/8/2015 12:19:05 am

I think your right Pamela, home is our original place. Even though I left the village as a teenager it was always a place I could return to. Let me know when you have another one of those walks and I bring you a treat and walk with you. We had a little bit of rain yesterday. It was so nice.

Nicole James link

5/8/2015 05:01:02 pm

Gerlinde,
wonderful combination of California & German spring food! We have not made Erdbeerbowle in years, it was always made on my Grandmother's birthday since she was mad about it and I have not had it since she died. Calling my cousin today, time to revive the tradition with our first fragrant German strawberries.
I can almost smell the Redwoods and the fragrant Santa Cruz Mountains from your photo, what a wonderful place you have - makes me sigh with longing for the Bay Area where we lived for a while.
Nicole

5/12/2015 12:45:28 pm

Hi Nicole, have fun with the Erdbeerbowle. It is such a fun beverage on a lazy afternoon. The Santa Cruz Mountains are a nice place to be. I had to drive up Highway 9 to go to work. Sometimes during the rainy season it was quiet an adventure.

sue|the view from great island link

5/11/2015 11:25:14 pm

What a wonderful picture you paint of the celebration under the sailcloth with the long awaited rain tapping away above...love the salad, i will have t remember that one next time I need a dish for a crowd!

5/12/2015 08:16:29 am

Thank you Sue, the salad is a crowd pleaser.

Sabine link

5/13/2015 06:55:07 am

Not only is this a wonderful salad recipe, but a beautiful post about an expat´s state of mind, somewhere between feeling familiar and alienated at the same time when revisiting one´s "old world".

Aside from that, I am deeply impressed by your making the asparagus salad for so many people. Every time I cook for more than my usual crowd, I realize how hard it is and multiplying the quantities isn´t always the key to success (though it helps :-)) !
Have a wonderful Vatertag, in case you celebrate that. Sabine.

5/14/2015 03:22:36 pm

Thank you Sabine, I hope you had a wonderful Vatertag with your father. Here in the States Father's Day is on June 21st. When my father was still alive I sometimes forgot about Father's Day in Germany. The poor guy, he deserved to be recognized on Father's Day. He was a special dad.
My salad was easy to multiply, it was just a lot of work. But you are right, it is not easy to multiply a recipe and it often doesn't work.

Amanda link

5/15/2015 10:04:11 am

That salad looks divine - not sure I'd be up for making it for 50 people though!

5/15/2015 12:11:49 pm

I'm not so sure I do it again!

AppetiteDeluxe link

5/15/2015 11:08:31 am

Looks delicious

5/15/2015 12:12:37 pm

Thank you!

KathrynR

5/16/2015 12:58:06 pm

Gerlinde, you have also made a delicious asparagus salad. For 50?!!! Wow, that was indeed a labor of love. It looks simply delicious!

5/16/2015 02:36:17 pm

Thanks Kathryn, your salad also looks delicious .

neela manogar link

5/18/2015 07:16:03 pm

Salad looks delicious. Lovely presentation.

5/19/2015 03:59:42 am

Thank you Neela.

grace link

6/8/2015 12:07:29 am

i don't think i can even fathom how much salad it would take to feed 50 people! great post and delicious creation. :)

6/8/2015 12:26:59 pm

Thank you Grace

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

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