Poke Salad Annie

If some of ya'll never been down South too much...
I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this,
So that you'll understand what I'm talking about
Down here we have a plant
That grows out in the woods and the fields,
Looks somethin' like a turnip green.
Everybody calls it Poke salad. Poke salad.
Used to know a girl that lived down there and
she'd go out in the evenings and pick a mess of it...
Carry it home and cook it for supper,
'Cause that's about all they had to eat,
But they did all right.


Down in Louisiana
Where the alligators grow so mean
There lived a girl that I swear to the world
Made the alligators look tame

Poke salad Annie, poke salad Annie
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was working on the chain-gang
(A mean, vicious woman)

Everyday 'fore supper time
She'd go down by the truck patch
And pick her a mess o' polk salad
And carry it home in a tote sack

Poke salad Annie, 'gators got you granny
Everybody said it was a shame
'Cause her mama was aworkin' on the chain-gang...

(a wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin' woman,
Lord have mercy. Pick a mess of it)

Her daddy was lazy and no count
Claimed he had a bad back
All her brothers were fit for
Was stealin' watermelons out of my truck patch

Poke salad Annie, the gators got your granny
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was a working' on the chain gang...

(Sock a little poke salad to me, you know I need a mess of it)

"Poke salad" is made from a common edible weed, "Pokeweed".

Poke Salad

1 to 2 lbs. Poke Salad

6 to 8 slices bacon

1 lg. onion (optional)

2 eggs

Pick and wash poke salad, bring to a rapid boil for 20 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold tepid water.
Bring to a rapid boil, starting with cold water,
for a second boil for 20 minutes.
Again drain and rinse with cold tepid water.
Now for the third time,
starting over cold tepid water
bring to a rapid boil for 20 more minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
Let drain completely.

Meantime fry bacon and save drippings; set aside.
Clean and cut onion in quarters.
Take drained poke salad.
Cook in fry pan that you fried your bacon.
Add 1/4 cup of drippings and shortening from bacon.
Add onion, 1/4 cup of water, salt to taste.
Let steam fry until onions are sautéed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve and garnish with hard boiled egg and bacon.


Until next time … “May the Fork be with You!”

Sign  View