Wild Poke Salad Recipe (Poisonous Raw)

I love foraging for “edible weeds” and harvesting the bounty that nature provides.  It is the season for poke salad greens and I have made cooked poke salad (aka Polk Salad) many times before. This time I thought I would try something new and unusual so I have a polk salad recipe with a twist- Poke Salad Fried Rice. 

Polk Salad Recipe AKA Poke Salad (BUT BEWARE OF IT’S DANGEROUS SIDE!)

First let’s talk poke!

What is poke salad? And is it poke salad or polk salad?

Poke salad is a traditional Southern U.S. dish made from a wild plant that grows in fields and along roadsides. Some folks say it is polk salad and some say poke salad. If you don’t do well with ambiguity, go with Poke Salad because it is made from a plant in the pokeweed family. Phytolacca americana is known by many names. Poke Salad Greens, Pokeweed, Poke Weed, Polk Salad Plant, Polkweed, pokeweed salad, and Poke Sallet.

Is Polk Salad safe to eat?

Polk Salad is safe to eat only if cooked TWICE. Poke Salad Plant is poisonous raw! Raw pokeweed contains toxic compounds (phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin) that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even death in large amounts. With care, you can enjoy this abundant and tasty plant in the spring. Poke salad greens are ready to pick and cook now that spring is here. Gathering poke weed is a fun foraging challenge.

This reliable wild edible expert explains:

“It is not the most commonly eaten food from a poisonous source. Tapioca or cashews would probably take that prize. But poke weed’s in the running. If prepared incorrectly or carelessly it can make you quite ill, or worse, put a ‘k’ in front of ill as in kill you. But when picked and prepared properly, as millions have done over the centuries, it is perhaps the most delicious pot herb of all” –Eat The Weeds

Poke Salad Greens Nutrition: ABUNDANTLY NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS

Nutritionally, poke weed is a powerhouse: A half cup of the greens provides 35 calories (10 from fat), no cholesterol, three grams dietary fiber, and 90% of your daily need for vitamin A, 60% of vitamin C, 8% calcium, and 6% of iron. Poke weed has 8,700 IU’s of vitamin A per 100g serving.

For further details on proper identification and cooking times please remember my danger warning and use the guidance offered at Dislihably.com

How To Pick Wild Edible Poke

Poke Salad Greens like to grow along fence lines on disturbed ground. Where it grows, it usually grows in abundance.

Use your hand to measure an approximate six inches height. You can pick the EARLY growth, the shoots should be no taller than 6 inches. Harvest only young leaves and tender shoots (older parts of the plant are more toxic).

I had the blessing of a beautiful day yesterday picking some wild edibles. I picked the last of our early spring dandelions and I was able to pick probably about 10 pounds of Poke Salad. Last night I processed the dandelion greens, meaning I cleaned them, packaged them into freezer bags raw with folded paper towels inside the bag to absorb the moisture. Dandelions prepared this way keep very well in the refrigerator.

The extra Poke Salad Greens I will blanche. Meaning I will cook them for one minute, drain them, and pack them into freezer bags. I will mark the bags that they must be cooked again, then I will put those in the freezer for later use.

RECIPE FOR POKE SALAD FRIED RICE

I had the pleasure yesterday evening of trying my hand at a recipe I made up and it worked very well.

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups chopped freshly-picked Poke Salad Greens shoots (picked at 6 inches high)
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• ¼ Cup Diced ginger-root
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 Eggs
• 1 Cup of cooked rice ( I chose to use brown rice)
• Soy Sauce or Spicy Stir Fry Sauce
• Bell pepper garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste
• cooking oil to taste

How To Cook Poke Salad

First, chop the poke salad greens into about 1 inch sections.Then cook poke salad twice as instructed below.

Boil your Poke Salad Greens for 5 minutes, pour off the water. Boil a SECOND TIME for half an hour. If you still see any color in the water, you may want to boil a third time, as some people are extra careful with Poke. When done place them in a strainer to drain excess water.

I have been eating Poke Salad since I was a child. I only boil them twice and I am still living! (Smile)

At this point for a traditional poke salad, you would saute the cooked greens with onion and/or garlic and bacon grease.

This is where I got creative and decided to make it into a fried rice instead.

Chop onions, garlic and ginger root.

Pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a warm pan. Add onions, garlic, and ginger root, and stir regularly as they begin to brown. Add your desired salt, pepper and spices. Add the rice, and get it nice and warm, allowing it to crisp it up a little. When it is getting hot, you can add the raw eggs (mixed in a bowl) as they will be cooked by the heat in the rice. Mix it well so the egg is evenly distributed.Then add your cooked poke greens. Mix and removed from heat when warmed evenly. Prepare to serve with your desired garnishes.

I hope you enjoy this new spin on a polk salad recipe. Don’t forget- poke salad is poisonous raw and only safe to eat if cooked twice. Do you think you will try this polk salad recipe?

Printable Recipe Card For Poke Salad Fried Rice

Cooked Poke Salad Fried Rice

April 16, 2016

by Anna Singer

Cuisine American

Category Family Food

This is a polk salad recipe with a twist- Poke Salad Fried Rice. It makes a complete, hearty meal that showcases the flavor of the greens with the saltiness of soy sauce to compliment.

Persons

4

Serving Size

1 cup

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

55 minutes

1 2 3 4 5

Rate this recipe

|

67 ratings

Ingredients

• 4 Cups chopped freshly-picked Poke Salad Greens shoots (POISONOUS RAW)
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• ¼ Cup minced ginger-root
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 Eggs
• 1 Cup of cooked rice ( I used brown rice)
• Soy Sauce or Spicy Stir Fry Sauce
• Orange Bell pepper garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste
• cooking oil to taste

Instructions

1. Wear disposable gloves and chop the poke salad greens into about 1 inch sections.
2. Boil your Poke Salad Greens for 5 minutes, pour off the water.
3. Boil a SECOND TIME for half an hour, drain the water.
4. If you still saw any color in the water, you may want to boil a third time just to be extra careful.
5. When done place them in a strainer allow to drain.
6. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat.
7. Brown onions. Then add garlic, ginger root, salt, pepper and spices.
8. Add the rice, stirring to warm it and crisp it up a little.
9. When it is getting hot, you can add the raw eggs (mixed in a bowl).
10. Mix it well so the egg is evenly distributed.
11. Then add your cooked poke.
12. Stir while the mixture cooks evenly.
13. Prepare to serve with your desired garnishes.

Nutrition Facts

Cooked Poke Salad Fried Rice

Serves: 4

Amount Per Serving: 1 cup
Calories		322.38 kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25.66 g		38.5%
	Saturated Fat 2.59 g	10%
	Trans Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 99.97 mg		33%
Sodium 403.55 mg		16.8%
Total Carbohydrate 18.15 g		6%
	Dietary Fiber 1.49 g	4%
	Sugars 2.23 g
Protein 5.67 g

Vitamin A 19.58 %		Vitamin C 8.34 %
Calcium 4.78 %		Iron 7.93 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Family Focus Blog

Tags

edible wild food,

homestead,

vegetarian recipes

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Cultural Significance:

• Poke salad has deep roots in Southern Appalachian cuisine, often eaten during the spring when food was scarce.
• The dish was popularized in the song “Polk Salad Annie” by Tony Joe White.

Forage not only for wild edibles but also while foraging, forage for understanding: “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not… neither decline from the words of my mouth.” Proverbs 4:5

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