You can do a Google search and find several explanations for how to cook Poke weed. We eat it much like mustard greens. Be very careful it is toxic if not properly cooked.
Posts: 603 | Location: Louisiana USA | Registered: 24 August 2007
Pokeweed leaves are loaded with oxalic acid ....same compound found in rhubarb leaves....highly toxic. Wash and boil leaves. Discard water. Put in fresh water and boil again. The 2X boiling dissolves the oxalic acid out of the leaves and into the surrounding water. Discard water...... eat leaves. Don't expect a gastronomic delight. Like overcooked spinach. Not worth eating. Old Southern "greens". Folks eat it with pepper sauce (vinegar in which small, hot peppers have been soaked).
Pick only YOUNG shoots an leaves in the spring and cook as above ! That's one of a number of plants that has to be picked and cooked specific ways to be edible and palatable.
Excellent thought....the YOUNG plant tissues have not had time to store oxalic acid....which is a waste product of their metabolism. So, avoid older leaves.
I have eaten poke salad. That's an adequate reason to not eat it again. It cooks into a green almost-mush. I guess it came into use by country folks as a "free" and easily available green vegetable. It grows as a weed all over the South. Young dandelions are much better. Even mustard or turnip greens are better.
Pick the first green leaves early in spring, sweat them a bit in a skillet and then scramble a couple of eggs into them. My grandmother would add a good pour of hot bacon grease over the top. After a long winter without fresh vegetables, anything green looks and tastes pretty good although I don't see how that explains people eating ramps.
Posts: 818 | Location: Missouri | Registered: 24 May 2002
Mike, I think you would like this recipe even if you don't like ramps. But it's the Morels that make the dish.
Stuffed Morels With Wild Leeks (Ramps) 6 large morel mushrooms 3 Tbs. butter, melted 12 wild leeks 1/2 cup diced ham 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese Salt and pepper
Steam morels until limp (about 3 minutes). Slice lengthwise along one side. Slice bulbs and chop leaves of wild leeks; mix thoroughly with butter, ham, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff mixture into morels; close-up mushrooms and place in buttered casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Originally posted by Mike Scott: Pick the first green leaves early in spring, sweat them a bit in a skillet and then scramble a couple of eggs into them. My grandmother would add a good pour of hot bacon grease over the top.
rdharma - if you want to try this, and you're looking at doing it in the srping, that gives you all winter to consider this:
you might also want to look into curing and smokingyour own buckboard bacon, canadian bacon or ham, too. it's easy and better than anything you can buy. i was pretty surprised at just how easy it was.
i'm no expert on southern greens, but as a red-blooded male, i can reasonably assume that those greens will be even better with smoked pork of some kind to go with them. if you're interested, i can post some "gateway" instructions and so forth.
Originally posted by tasunkawitko: rdharma - if you want to try this, and you're looking at doing it in the srping, that gives you all winter to consider this:
you might also want to look into curing and smokingyour own buckboard bacon, canadian bacon or ham, too. it's easy and better than anything you can buy. i was pretty surprised at just how easy it was.
i'm no expert on southern greens, but as a red-blooded male, i can reasonably assume that those greens will be even better with smoked pork of some kind to go with them. if you're interested, i can post some "gateway" instructions and so forth.
This would be interesting as I'm on the verge of buying a new smoker/grill .
Please also see my thread on smoker/grill selection. When I get set up, I'll be makin' some bacon!
However my Father in law likes it and he gets some of it every year and gives it a "bite"...
He is in his upper 80's, and I hope I am in as good a health as he is when I get to that age...
Still, I "ain't" going to eat no poke salad.
I do however, drink my share of Laphroaig...
That is bound to extend life, don't you think???
I like it, but some don't. They'll no doubt chime in sooner or later saying something like "It won't help yolu live forever, but it'll seem like it.... (Just like a bossy, whining, wife)."
My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still.
Posts: 9685 | Location: Cave Creek 85331, USA | Registered: 17 August 2001
