Polk Salad Leaves
Ingredients pokeweed leaves bacon fat enough to coat pan crushed bacon to taste salt pepper to taste.
Polk salad leaves. The stems similar to asparagus. Bring the leaves to a boil in a large pot allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Woman preparing poke salad poke is a traditional southern appalachian food. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until poke is tender. Drain the leaves and rinse with cold water. Drain the water from the pot and refill the pot with fresh water. Polk should be picked early in the season.
Place poke shoots and water to cover in an 8 quart dutch oven. Polk salet or polk salad is a dark leafy green similar to but stronger tasting than spinach but with a flavor of its own. Again drain and rinse with cold tepid water. Bring to a rapid boil starting with cold water for a second boil for 20 minutes.
Do not choose leaves over 6 inches long. 4 cups chopped freshly picked poke salad greens shoots picked at 6 inches high 1 cup chopped onion cup diced ginger root 4 cloves garlic 2 3 eggs 1 cup of cooked rice i chose brown soy sauce or spicy stir fry sauce bell pepper garnish salt pepper to taste cooking oil to taste. Check poke shoots carefully. Poke sallet a dish made with the cooked leaves of the poisonous pokeweed plant is beloved by many in the american south despite its latent toxicity.
Bring the pot to a boil again and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until the leaves turn an olive green color. Drain and rinse with cold tepid water. Remove pulpy stems and discolored spots on leaves. Polk salad is however eaten in the southeren united states.
These substances are toxic to mammals and may cause death. Prepared correctly polk salad is a healthful delicious side dish. How to make poke sallet poke salad start two pots of water on the stove covered one the size to fit the poke that you have harvested one at least 3 times this size coarsely chop poke shoots when water has come to a boil in the small pot and is close to or is boiling in the big pot ad d poke to small pot. The leaves and stems of young plants can be eaten but must be cooked by boiling two or more times with the water drained and replaced each time.
Drain well and chop. The leaves taste similar to spinach. The young greens should be boiled and drained three times to purge the toxins before they are fried in hot oil or bacon fat with eggs.