Pokeweed in the veggie garden.

Apparently I got a little lazy midsummer last year and let some pokeweed go to seed near the veggie garden. I'm paying for it now, and these HUGE fleshy roots send up shoots almost daily. I have dug out what I can (and there are some I can't b/c they're below the peas, so I just chop them below soil surface until the pea crop is done). Is there any other way to deal with this? I'm guessing not, as the root is just so strong and huge. Sigh.

I too learned the hard way with those impressive plants with their fascinating purple berries...don't let them seed. Eventually you will eliminate them by cultivation.

Thanks, Indy. I know the birds are helping out with the spread of these, too.

It sell for $1.00 Lb at the farmers market here, and they sell out every morning.
I'll be happy to send you my recipe.

You mean poke salad?

Yep. It's listed as poke weed, polk salad and poke salat.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2006 12:27 PM

I'd love a recipe. Thank you! I missed making dandelion wine this year, so this will have to take its place in the "eating of weeds" category. :)

hahaha...if you can't beat 'em, EAT 'em!!

Zeppy,
Here's my, (inherited) recipe and a link to the Tennessee Polk Salad Assn., (They spell it different)
Hope you like it. Jeff
Poke Salat


2 grocery sacks young Poke Salat (the “old timey” brown paper bags)
6 to 8 slices thick bacon
1 onion chopped
2 tsps. sugar
2 to 3 eggs

Wash poke salad well; bring water to a boil in a large pot, Dump in poke and mash down, stir when you can, (remember, like all greens poke will cook down a bunch & add the rest as it cooks down), till it starts simmering hard. Drain well and rinse. Bring fresh water to boil, add poke and bring to another hard simmer. Drain once more and rinse. * see note
Meantime fry bacon in a large cast iron skillet remove bacon and all but about ¼ cup of the drippings.
Take drained poke salad and add to the skillet, stir well then add the onion and sugar cover and let steam until onions are done about 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile beat eggs well, remove cover, pour in eggs and stir well with a large fork until eggs are done.
Crumble reserved bacon and sprinkle over greens.
Serve with cornbread (Got to have cornbread!!)


*As far as the 2 boils: one of my grandmothers use to boil it 3 times. The other, and my mother normally did it only twice if it was young, tender poke. They said you only had to boil it 3 times if the water was dark green after the second time, which was when you had older, bigger leaves.

Tn.Polk

http://www.rockytopgen.com/polksalad/rcn_07272004.html


This message was edited Apr 28, 2006 10:05 AM

This message was edited Apr 28, 2006 1:09 PM

Thanks so much! I'll enjoy this. Looks like collards, sort of.

Salat is the German word for salad.