Poke Salet, Wild Onions,and Corn Bread
by Ruby Hawk on Jun 21, 2009 with 26 Comments
I grew up in the country eating poke salet, wild onions, and all manner of wild spring greens. Let me take you on an poke hunt and show you how we prepare a yummy dish.
I intended to write this article a few weeks ago at the time Daisy Peasblossom published her article about poke salet and sassafras tea.I held off on mine because I certainly didn’t want to steal any of Daisy’s thunder. (as if I could) Before I publish this I will check out Daisy’s page again to be sure she isn’t still getting visitors. At the time we were making comments back and forth, those of us who knew what poke salet was and had eaten it and I thougt it might be an interesting subject.
As most of you know I grew up in the hills of north Georgia, (still here)my mama and all our neighbor women picked spring greens every spring as soon as the shoots peeped out of the ground. Anything green was much appreciated after a winter of mostly bread,potatoes, and dried beans. The women canned and dried everything they could from gardens and fields, and if they could get one,the men killed a hog in the fall but it didn’t last through the winter with all the mouths to feed.
I still pick blackberries if see a good patch in the summer when they ripen, and I will pick wild lettuce, dandelions, wild onions, field creases, water creases, and poke salet if I happen up on some pretty young plants, which is not often anymore. I live in a urban area now in an apartment so I don’t have the fields and pastures to wander in as I used to. Although wild edible plants do grow along roads and trails in the parks. And poke salet grows along the board walk in our complex.
So I went out to look for some young juicy poke salet and I found as much as I needed and more. I broke the young tender leaves from the top of the plant. More will grow in for later picking. I also found a patch of wild onions and pulled enough of those to make a pan of onions to go with my poke salet.
I brought it all home and washed it several times in the sink. See how fresh and tender the poke is.
I filled a pot half full of water and placed the poke in the water. Set the pot on the stove and boiled the poke till tender. Now I turn on the oven and bake a pan of corn bread. You can’t have poke salat without corn bread and onions.
I cut up my wild onions, sprinkled then with a little corn meal. poured a spoon or so of olive oil in a pan, heated it on low and poured my onions in the pan. Let them cook slowly till tender, If they get dry put a little water in there.
Now my poke is tender, I take it out of the cooking water and rinse it well. Pull out a pan and put a few spoons of oil in the pan. Put the poke in the pan and simmer it on low a few minutes. Put in a little salt if you want. I don’t use salt. I use basil, rosemary, sage, shredded dried onions, garlic, and other herbs mixed together. I buy all the different bottles of herbs and mix them up together and use that instead of salt. It works for me.
Now our supper is cooked and here is how it looks to go on the table. This was all the supper I needed but of course I cooked more food for Lionel. It takes more to fill him up. I hope you guys will go out and look for some of these nutritious wild greens and let us know how delicious you find them. Ok, I won’t get my hopes up too high.
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Published in: Cooking
ken bultman | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Oh, Ruby. Take me home, country road. Ate a bunch of that good stuff (but left out the rosemary). Remember the song, Poke salet Annie, gator got your grannie? I’m gonna have to look up Daisy’s post.
Kate Smedley | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
That looks delicious, I’m not sure I could make it as well as you Ruby, thanks for your step by step guide and great photos too!
CHAN LEE PENG | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Delicious looking. Nice dishes. Liked it.
OhSugar | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Great memory-lane for me. My grandmother used to cook this way. Thanks for the memory Ruby. The pictures are great.
Jenny Heart | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Great looking and it’s so good for you too. How good is that. Love it!
Daisy Peasblossom | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Mmmmmm! Sounds yummy. I cooked my poke the basic way, but I’m going to have to try your recipe. I noticed when I mowed the lawn yesterday, that my patch needs picking again. We always served our poke with cornbread and beans. The green onions is a new wrinkle for me.
chris73 | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
With blackberries you can make also a great marmalade and with all other herbs and plants a nice pie
papaleng | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
I guess i can take that kind of meal. I love corned beef..
Joe Dorish | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Looks delicious Ruby! Fresh picked food almost always tastes the best to me.
PR Mace | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
It has been years since I have eaten this. It sound delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Judy Sheldon | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Ruby, I love when you tell us about your upbringing. This was very enjoyable. I’ve got to see if I can find some to try it myself. After all I grew up eating dandelion greens, wild rhubarb, berries and wild asparagus. I made some dandelion greens last week and my husband wrinkled up his nose without even trying it. lol
Sheila M | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
I would probably pick the wrong thing! Looks yummy!
clay hurtubise | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Oh my, when did you say dinner is served?
Thanks,
Clay
Mystify | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Fabulous article,the salad looks delicious.For every tame plant there is a wild plant.I really like this topic,the article and photos.Excellent job!
Liane Schmidt | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Sounds very good!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
macdood | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
We northern folks don’t have that delicacy. I’m sure we have some of our own and this article inspired me to do some research.
Thanks.
Ruby Hawk | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Thank you my friends for your interest, I likes, and comments. Ken, I’m sorry that I haven’t heard the poke salet song. I’m surprised I haven’t. It sounds like an old country song and I think I’ve heard most of them.
Judy, do try some poke if you like dandelions you will like poke too.
Daisy, I meant to ask you if you find any sassafrass nowdays. My son has some in a corner of his yard. I’ve been thinking about harvesting some to make tea.
Clay, let me know when you’re in town and I’ll make poke salet and corn bread for you.
Poetic Enigma | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
Very interesting.
Sounds good.
May be worth a try sometime.
Thanks for sharing
Tahnee Smith | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
I’m from california and have never been out of state… This sounds so delicious and fun to make! What a wonderful adventure for a family
rutherfranc | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
mouthwatering pics and article Ruby..
Hazel Crowther | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
This is good mouth watering stuff.
Francy | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
Very good
Thanks for sharing
OhSugar | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
It all look delicious and healthy, now there is a combination:) Very nice.
Momma Tells | Jun 22, 2009 | Reply
Does the taste of poke salat resemble anything? (spinach? mustard greens?)
Ruby Hawk | Jun 23, 2009 | Reply
Thanks again folks,
Momma Tells, poke does taste a little like spinash. although I don’t care very much for spinach and I like poke. It really has a taste of it’s own.
Tahnee, look up some of your state’s wild foods and try them. It’s a fun thing to do.
CutestPrincess | Jul 6, 2009 | Reply
im vegetarian, i wanna try the poke, but we don’t have that kind vegies here!