NORTH AMERICAN TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS FOOD SYSTEMS

Blanch Pokeweed

1. Heat water (enough to submerge pokeweed) to boiling in a large pot.

2. Add pokeweed to boiling water, and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain, and immediately place greens in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and preserve color and texture.

3. Drain thoroughly and squeeze the greens to remove excess water.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 one to two more times, each time using fresh water (2-3 times total)

   Tip: Blanch more greens than needed. 4 cups of fresh pokeweed will approximately yield 2 cups of blanched pokeweed. Chop and freeze to add into future salads, soups, stews or casseroles.

Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Place noodles in boiling water and cook until noodles
   are soft but still have some resistance to them

3. While the noodles boil, rough chop pokeweed, and set
   aside.

4. Once the noodles have reached the desired texture, use
   a strainer to drain the noodles and then place the
   noodles directly in the casserole dish.

5. Drain the canned chicken, then rinse by adding water to
   the can and draining it thoroughly once more. Add the rinsed and drained chicken to the casserole dish using a fork to break up any large pieces. Stir to combine with the noodles.

6. Add butter directly to the noodles. Stir to combine and melt the butter.

7. Add the mushroom soup to the casserole dish, using a spoon to gently incorporate.

8. Slowly pour the milk into the casserole dish, folding in the milk at intervals, until achieving the desired consistency. 9. Add the pokeweed, folding gently until evenly distributed.

9. Add pepper and salt to taste.

10. Cover the casserole dish with lid or foil and bake for 20-25 minutes until the casserole is heated through and bubbling. Tip: remove the cover for the last 5-10 minutes of baking to brown the top of the casserole.

Plating

1. Serve warm.