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pot and fry a couple strips of bacon or smoked hog's jaw. Once the meat is brown, dump the poke back into the pot; then add a small amount of water to keep it from scorching. Cover and simmer the poke until the water has evaporated and it is extremely tender. Add a tad of salt. To fix poke stalks, peel the stalks and cut up into a large bowl. Add two by Pamela Bates Most authorities will tell you that the poke weed is poisonous, yet for at least a century Appalachians have been calling it poke salad and eating it and living to enjoy their next helping. Why then do the authorities claim poke is toxic? The older Appalachian women would proba- and quartered. Mix together one-third cup of cornmeal and one-eighth cup of flour; pour over poke stalks and potatoes. Shake the bowl carefully until everything is coated. Dump the mixture into a hot iron skillet that contains about medium potatoes that have been peeled two tablespoons of vegetable oil; then add a little salt and black pepper. Place the skillet into an oven, preheated to four hundred degrees. Stir the mixture once and everything is a light golden brown, take it out and let cool for a few minutes or twice. Once the potatoes are tender bly say that it's because "they ain't fixFirst, you have to hunt for the poke. my life in the ridges, I learned at a young age how to prepare poke salad correctly. ing it right." Growing up living most of before serving. This is also a good way to fry okra, only leave out the potatoes. salad with pinto beans and cornbread. tea or coffee. If you happen to have blackberries in the freezer, bake a black- Serve the poke stalks and/or poke Start early in the spring. If you wait too long in the season, the poke will be too large and tough. Grab a poke (a sack) and head for a place that has been cleared in the last year or so. If you are lucky, you will find the poke weed growing amongst the blackberry briars and weeds. When young, the plant resembles a four-o-clock. Pick the prettiyou will need about half a poke full. Later when the plants are a foot or more high, get the stalks but discard the leaves because they will be too tough. The stalks are delicious by themselves. Once you are back in your kitchen, wash the poke twice. Then place in a Boil until the poke is tender. Now this next step is very important. It is what keeps the poke from being poisonous. Take the pot and drain all the liquid. Then rinse the poke and drain again. This time squeeze or press until no liquid remains. Remove the poke from the To wash all this down, make some ice- berry pie to finish the meal off. I guarantee that all your work will be worth it. In fact, this will probably be the best meal you have had in ages. est leaves and tender stalks. For a mess, ?. large pot, cover with water and a lid.
Appalachian Review – University of North Carolina Press
Published: Jan 8, 1990
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