Poke sallet and eggs---YUM!

Had my first of the season plate of poke sallet and eggs tonight. Takes me right back to my childhood. As soon as the first green shoots of any edible began to poke through the soil, my grandmother was out there gathering a multitude of them. I loved the mixed greens with some bacon grease and vinegar drizzled over them but my favorite was always the time when the poke was plentiful enough to have a just poke and the addition of eggs, either scrambled or boiled and chopped was heaven. Throw in a few sticks of cornbread and I'm good.

Anyone else enjoy this treat?

originally posted by: diggindirt

Anyone else enjoy this treat?

No, but you've inspired me to try it!

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

By all means! If you've never harvested it, do take the time to read any of a number of articles that can be found by using a search engine.

My method of harvest and preparation was learned from my grandmother and my mother. I harvest leaves that are completely green and never a leaf that is larger than my hand. I wash them and use about half a cup of water or broth and boil them, covered, until the liquid is almost gone. If I'm having poke and scrambled eggs, I drizzle a bit of bacon grease over the greens and add the eggs. When the eggs are done, I dump it all on a plate, add a chopped green onion and some vinegar. While the poke is boiling down, I make up a pan of cornsticks and then I proceed to make an absolute pig of myself. If I'm using boiled eggs, I just sprinkle them on with green onions and vinegar. Sometimes I add a bit of garlic.

Hey, it's free food, there for the picking. Lots of vitamins and minerals I'm told.

What ?
What ?
Georgia born
Georgia bred
And , when I die ?
Georgia dead
And you ask if anyone else enjoys this?
It is also an old curative.

Although you may want to caution folks pokeweed is toxic...
Has to be prepared by a specialist , like grandma

a reply to: diggindirt

Absolutely! Last month we had nettles soup and Poke weed greens a few times, last night we made Lambs quarters the same way, a little bacon fat, diced bacon, onion and balsamic with meatballs and rice!.

Wife and I have a small homestead and are both clinical herbalists, so we eat a lot of wild foods an each of the seasons.

a reply to: Gothmog

Poke weed is only toxic if you dont know how to prepare it and what part your eating. The young leaves are especially delicious wilted with viniger, the berries (seeded, the toxic part) make a great jam, or lymphatic infusion.

The root, is toxic, to some degree, but used properly has been used harmlessly in cases of breast cancer.

Some of yall never been down south too much, I'm gonna yall little story sosya understand what I'm talkin about.

Down there we got a plant that grows out in the woods and fields, and it looks somthin like a turnip green, and everybody calls it poke sallet...

...and that's POKE!



...Sallet...

a reply to: rexsblues

lol thats why I prefer to use the latin names

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Gothmog

Poke weed is only toxic if you dont know how to prepare it and what part your eating. The young leaves are especially delicious wilted with viniger, the berries (seeded, the toxic part) make a great jam, or lymphatic infusion.

The root, is toxic, to some degree, but used properly has been used harmlessly in cases of breast cancer.

And , what did I say in my post ?
"Polly want a cracker ?"

a reply to: Gothmog

Well, I'm a grandmother and great-grandmother so I guess it's okay.

My grandmother made "pickles" of the peeled stalks of pokeweed but I never got her recipe for those so haven't attempted them. I just know that all the purple outer layer had to be carefully peeled away.

a reply to: BlueJacket
The lambs quarters aren't quite big enough to harvest yet but I'm trying to be patient. I've settled for curly leaf dock, plantain, mustard and sorrel. Deer got what would have been my first harvest....they really like the fresh young shoots too!

I've never had nettle soup. My grandmother only used the nettles for arthritis pain, never knew of her harvesting it for food. How do you prepare it?

a reply to: diggindirt

Before nettles flowers, silica content gets too high after it flowers and goes to seed, we do 3 boils as a pot herb, then blend, puree add to whatever soup or, just toss with some viniger, perhaps some garlic mustard to flavor and salt...youre good to go!

We raise chickens..so we are always making stock, the nettles soup is always part of that in the spring with the older hens, or nuisance young roosters, bones gristle comb the works, add the boiled nettles and season to taste. Dont use late season nettles unless ya like kidney stones

a reply to: diggindirt

Our Lambs Quarters take over by July, We prefer the young shorter stock, much more tender, less fibrous, vastly better to eat

a reply to: Gothmog

Well not exactly, you had not offered any real information...just an allusion to your grandmother...SHE sounds like a wise person

a reply to: BlueJacket
Ours are a little late this year it seems. They're just popping up.
Have you ever harvested the seeds and ground them for flour? They were a staple for the natives in our area apparently. I've never been able to accumulate enough to try it. I'm told it's a nutty flavor that is far superior to wheat flour.

a reply to: diggindirt

My wife made mention of that last night, I havent but we have acres covered with it, so perhaps we shall give it a try