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.
POKE SALAD RECIPE AKA Polk Salad Recipe (BUT BEWARE OF IT’S DANGEROUS SIDE!)
First let’s talk poke!
Is it poke salad or polk salad?
Both. 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! 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
Preparation of Wild Edible Poke Salad Greens
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.
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 Poke Salad Greens I will blanche. Meaning I will cook them for one minute, pack them into freezer bags, and mark the bag 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 Make Polk Salad Fried Rice
Chop the poke salad greens into about 1 inch sections and 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. I have been eating Poke Salad since I was a child. I only boil them twice and I am still living! (Smile)
Cook your rice set it aside.
Chop onions, garlic and ginger root.
Start your fried rice. Meaning, use a little bit of cooking oil to brown your onions, garlic and ginger root, adding your desired salt, pepper and spices. Add the rice, and get it nice and 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, mix and 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
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
- Wear disposable gloves and chop the poke salad greens into about 1 inch sections.
- Boil your Poke Salad Greens for 5 minutes, pour off the water.
- Boil a SECOND TIME for half an hour, drain the water.
- If you still saw any color in the water, you may want to boil a third time just to be extra careful.
- When done place them in a strainer allow to drain.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat.
- Brown onions. Then add garlic, ginger root, salt, pepper and spices.
- Add the rice, stirring to warm it and crisp it up a little.
- When it is getting hot, you can add the raw eggs (mixed in a bowl).
- Mix it well so the egg is evenly distributed.
- Then add your cooked poke.
- Stir while the mixture cooks evenly.
- 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
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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Nicole B says
I love Poke Salad, except I haven’t eaten it for years because the only person who ever made it for me was my Granny when I was a kid. 🙂 I have a great memory of picking poke salad with her, and I’m so glad I saw this post to remind me of it!
Ben Sanford says
Poke leaves can be used beautifully in any recipe which calls for spinach, stronger in flavor that turnip or mustard greens.
I particularly enjoy my leftovers (on the rare occasion they exist) chopped and added to scrambled eggs with some Swiss or even pork brains.
As for cooking twice, the only “benefit” is a loss of flavor and nutrition.
I typically cut the rib from any leaves where the ribs are about as large as an 10d nail or so.
This is just for extra tenderness. Then I place in water in a pressure cooker that is already boiling. Bacon has been added to the water for seasoning. Do not add salt. Stir into the water then cover. Cook 8 min. @15psi. Use the quick cool method of running cold water over the cooker in the sink (see your cooker manufacturers instructions).
This method retains the color, nutrition, and all the flavor.
Eat with your favorite pepper sauce or include in your favorite “florentines”.
As for the poison, it is a substance called PODOPHYLIN and is only contained in parts of the plant which “show purple”, the exception being the root which is not edible.
After 60+ years of eating “not purple parts, including stems and shoots, I’m no spring chicken but still a kickin’ chicken.