found in the internet - Pokeweed / Polk Salad

[EDOEP]

for us non-US-southerners who buy their - less exotic, i assume - veggies in a supermarket and always wanted to know more about annie's daily supper .....

Earth Journal by Gary Pendleton
Volume 15, Issue 38 ~ September 20 - September 26, 2007

Pokeweed

Elvis’s Poke Was Jefferson’s Ink Berry

In 1969, Elvis Presley heard a song called Poke Salad Annie. Elvis recorded the song and made it part of his live act. The King, who was born in a shotgun house in Tupelo, Miss., likely identified with the poor Southern girl portrayed in the song. He liked it so much that he recorded it three times, making it famous. The writer was Tony Joe White.

Poke Salad Annie would go out every evening about suppertime, to pick a mess of pokeweed. She seemed to be all alone; “everybody said it was a shame that her Poppa was workin’ on a chain gang, or was it her Momma? But she got by.” She was “TCB.” That’s Elvis lingo for “taking care of business”.



But don’t follow Annie’s lead and eat raw pokeweed, because it will put a hurtin’ on your belly.

Phytolacea americana is a lush, fast-growing plant that favors areas of mixed sun and shade with rich, moist soils. This striking plant grows into one of our tallest, non-wetland, native plants. It can reach up to 10 feet on crimson stalks. The leaves are generally green but sometimes turn red. Their shape is simple and typically tropical in design: un-lobed and with a drip-point. Purple berries hang down in a spike. The juice of the pokeberry is blood red and toxic.

Pokeweed has many other names, such as Ink Berry. The Declaration of Independence was written with ink made from fermented poke berry juice. Think about that the next time you bring out the Round Up spray.

Various Native American tribes used pokeweed for a variety of medicinal purposes, according to Dr. Jim Duke in the Handbook of Northeastern Indian Medicinal Plants. Poke was applied to cuts or consumed for cramps, worms, cancer, fever and many more ailments.

Poke is edible, but if not prepared properly it can be toxic. Avoid mature plants; young leaves make the best eating. Opinions differ on how to prepare it. I have eaten early spring poke leaves that were twice boiled, with the water changed for the second boil. For a gourmet twist, serve with clarified butter on whole-wheat toast points.

Our pokeweed has a South American cousin that grows as a small tree. Called the ombu tree, it provides shade to the gauchos of the Argentinean pampas. In some parts of the world, our little poke is grown as an ornamental. Give it a little space and leave it alone; it will add a wild note in the garden. Elvis and Thomas Jefferson would both approve.

Phytolacea americana
What to look for: Plants up to 10 feet tall with red stalks and prominent purple berries.
Where to look: Roadsides; forest edges; overgrown, weedy areas.

source: bay weekly
http://www.bayweekly.com/year07/issu...urnalxv38.html

[Suzan]

That was interesting reading, always wondered what Poke Salad was! lol
Thank you for this lovely thread!

[EDOEP]

That was interesting reading, always wondered what Poke Salad was! lol
Thank you for this lovely thread!

if you wish to get rid of your in-laws, serve raw ...

(just joking!)

actually i never knew what 'polk salad' is until i could search in the internet. in central-european dictionaries in public libraries it seems to be completely unknown.

you can find more here - in case you would like to participate in the 'miss polk salad pageant':

the tennessee polk salad association
http://www.rockytopgen.com/polksalad/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_salad

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/eastern...s/pokeweed.htm

http://www.floridata.com/ref/P/phyt_ame.cfm

http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/mp...ildFlowers.htm


recipes:
http://www.rockytopgen.com/polksalad/recipes.html

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-...6/246689.shtml

[malc07]

That was very interesting.I too always wondered what polk salad was,I always immagained it to be something like,corn.
excellent article.

[poormansgold]

I think that I got growing my back yard , I have look at it to see , Tom

[Dovey]

Very interesting, thanks for posting the information. Dovey

[poormansgold]

That's I got Growing In Back yard by frece I got three or four them ,
I never know they are or ty them with polk Salad, It's nice to know about them more,
Tom

[Diane]

Thanks for the article. Nice to know what it looks like.

Diane

[Miss Clawdy]

Thank you Ellie! I too always wondered what Polk salad was, I thought some sort of spinach I know Phytolacca, the homeopathic medicament, good to learn what it is.

[franny]

Thanks, for the article Ellie! Interesting to know what polk salad is...

franny

[cprimm]

It grows wild here - like weeds. I have never wanted to cook any of it. It is supposed to be like mustard greens or turnip greens.

[Suzan]

ROF EDOEP @ in-laws comment! Priceless...and don't worry I know you were joking, your a sweet person, I know you wouldn't be mean unless someone mean to you first (I am same way)
I'm going to check out the recipe's don't know if I'll try them, last time I made collard greeens I was the only one who ate them, my husband didn't like them, he stuck w/the fried chicken, corn, etc...lol

[elvislady]

Thanks for posting, i have wondered for years what it was. now i know. lol
elvislady

[EDOEP]

ROF EDOEP @ in-laws comment! Priceless...and don't worry I know you were joking, your a sweet person, I know you wouldn't be mean unless someone mean to you first (I am same way)
I'm going to check out the recipe's don't know if I'll try them, last time I made collard greeens I was the only one who ate them, my husband didn't like them, he stuck w/the fried chicken, corn, etc...lol

LOL i had / have very nice in-laws . if i hadn't, i would not roam elvis-forums but cooking-sites offering 'fugu recipes'

i do doubt i could make my sweetie try that polk-stuff. as a veggie-fan however i would not mind to give it at least a try. no chance of getting it here in europe, i assume, especially since consumption is recommended only for very young sprouts.

funny to read all the comments, many fans seem to have shared my lack of knowledge. i was under the impression i was the only one.

hugs, ellie

PS not sure if i violate forumrules by offering to post a downloadlink for tony joe white's version of the song .

anyway, i got it ...

[Suzan]

I only have my father in law left (mother in law passed away in 01)...but he's a sweetheart, but nevertheless the comment was FUNNY!

Mine loves veggies as well (thank goodness), but for some reason did not care for the greens, so, hmmm maybe I'll try one of the recipes see if he changes his mind. lol

I know I thought most knew and that I was only one who didn't as I did not grow up in the South.

I don't know if that is against forum rules??????
Cool!

Hugs back @ u Ellie!

[elvislady]

I only have my father in law left (mother in law passed away in 01)...but he's a sweetheart, but nevertheless the comment was FUNNY!

Mine loves veggies as well (thank goodness), but for some reason did not care for the greens, so, hmmm maybe I'll try one of the recipes see if he changes his mind. lol

I know I thought most knew and that I was only one who didn't as I did not grow up in the South.

I don't know if that is against forum rules??????
Cool!

Hugs back @ u Ellie!

Me to susan i grew up in north manchester, i did not have a clue what it was. lol
elvislady

[Suzan]

Hi elvislady!
I'm Canadian (living in L.A. for 2 decades) but nonetheless I am a Canadian, that is how I view myself and that is my citizenship (though by birth European), anyway, in Toronto we never heard of these things so when I heard that song I thought "what is that?" lol

[ricardo b. prospero]

Thank you for the post. This is what I call good posting, educational and informative. This is a double barrel treat, we talk of Elvis and we learn something too. Salute to you EDOEP I hope you post more like this one. You are good!

[Suzan]

Thank you for the post. This is what I call good posting, educational and informative. This is a double barrel treat, we talk of Elvis and we learn something too. Salute to you EDOEP I hope you post more like this one. You are good!

Well said, kudos! I couldn't agree more!

[EDOEP]

Thank you for the post.

you are welcome, ricardo & suzan.

You are good!

ooohhh. tell my manager, please

hugs, ellie