Roast some pokeroots by a fire. Scrape them clean with a knife and grind them up. Make a poultice out of the powder and apply to the bottom of the foot. It will draw the pain out of anywhere else in the body.

Here are several recipes for Poke Salad. It is best to get the tender leaves and shoots. Do not cut below the ground as it is poisonous. The mature leaves, berries and roots are the poisonous parts of the plant. It is said that eating three messes of poke salad in the Spring will keep you from getting those late Spring colds. It is also said that you should go out to get your first harvest of Poke Salad when the frogs start croaking in the Spring.

Boil the leaves and shoots in two changes of water if using older leaves. If very young leaves you will be OK to just boil them. If in doubt, do as follows: Poke Salad is poison if not cooked correctly. Let boil a few minutes, drain the water off and boil again. After a few minutes, drain and add more water. After adding water the third time, cook until tender. Drain well and squeeze out the juice with a fork. Now try one of the following recipes:

*Place poke salad hot in a bowl and top with boiled eggs.

*Add some olive oil to a pan and saute’ poke salad with leeks or onions.

*Add oil to a pan and put the poke salad in, when good and hot, break an egg into the pan and stir with a fork. Continue to fry until the egg is done.

*Cut the whole plant when it is about 8 inches high. Cut this up like okra and parboil once if desired. Roll in flour or cornmeal, salt and pepper and fry.

This is often eaten with some fried streak meat.

(this is sometimes spelled Polk Salad)