| 1 | Gather poke sprouts in the early spring when they are 6 to 8 inches tall, snapping off the entire stalk with its unfurling leaves above the ground, as you would pick asparagus. |
| 2 | Clean the poke sprouts and boil them gently in salted water to cover, until the stalks are just tender. |
| 3 | Drain sprouts and keep them warm until served. |
| 4 | While poke sprouts are cooking, make a white sauce of the butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. |
| 5 | As the sauce thickens, stir in the cheddar cheese; continue cooking until cheese is blended. |
| 6 | Have ready and keep warm the slices of bacon, drained well, and the buttered toast. |
| 7 | For each serving, top a toasted bread slice with 3 slices of bacon and put 4 or 5 poke sprouts on top. |
| 8 | Cover the poke sprouts with cheese sauce and sprinkle with chopped chives. |
| 9 | Note: poke sprouts can be forced indoors in a flat in wintertime. |
| 10 | In late autumn, dig the roots of at least two dozen pokeweed plants. |
| 11 | Chop off each large root about six inches from the crown and plant in a large, earth-filled box with the crown portions barely covered. |
| 12 | Take the box indoors to the cellar after freezing weather has set in, and keep it watered. |
| 13 | Or place in a garage or on a porch where the temperature does not go below freezing, and invert a cardboard box over the top. |
| 14 | In a few weeks, each crown will produce several crops of blanched poke sprouts which can be cut for use as soon as they have reached a height of about eight inches. |
| 15 | Do not let the sprouts grow tall enough to develop purple coloring in the stalks. |
| 16 | After the sprouts are cut, another crop will grow. |
| 17 | Use the sprouts in recipes calling for asparagus. |
| 18 | Dandelions and chicory can be forced by the same method. |
| 19 | The blanched greens are very tender and mild |
