Would you eat something called springlesprout??

[singedwingangel]

Ok so today my mom and I went driving around her old stomping grounds from childhood. Since the death of my dad I have realized just how little I know about her childhood or his for that matter. While driving she kept pointing at various flowers and plants on the side of the road and by creeks and naming it. I didn't think a thing about it till she talked about her and her mom going and walking the creek banks and road edges for them for dinner. WHAT???

I knew my mom was poor as a child, poor to the point that teachers at the one room school house she attended punished the richer kids for misbehavior by making them sit next to her or her brothers and sisters. I thought my hubby was kidding when he told me about his mom basically mowing the yard and getting the veggies for dinner. Well apparently that is not far from the truth.

Mom and memaw would walk and pick these grass growths and make greens with dinner. Not spinach or kale those were the fancy greens. Things like turkeypeas and turkey foot, springle sprout, milkweed, alder leaves, lambs tongue, narrowdick, poke, dandelions and violet leaves. Gathered and cooked and used to feed a hungry family of kids and her hubby.

then there was the mullen plant that was cut and steamed and mixed with sugar and water and used to make cough syrup.

I learned a lot on my field trip today...

[imamombygrace]

Mar. 24, 2009 at 5:33 PM

I think there were similar plants down here. When my parents were little they use to pick greens off side of the road and eat them too.  I think she told me once it was called Polk salad or something to that effect.  My Dad use to take me when I was young to pick stuff off side of the road....scufflings, figs, berries, honeysuckles..to this day if I seen them on side of the road I will stop and pick.  Doots loves honeysuckles.  I pick them in our yard to eat and bring inside to make the house smell good.  You know dandelions with hot bacon grease are common sides on Amish dinner table:)

[imamombygrace]

Mar. 24, 2009 at 5:33 PM

I meant to say a hot bacon grease type dressing.

[Anouck]

Mar. 24, 2009 at 5:42 PM

Narrowdick, hee hee... Okay, I really have like an adolescent 10-year-old boy's mind inside my body, that totally made me snicker!