Edible "Weeds": Aegopodium podagraria/Goutweed

Also known as "Aaaaaagh-opodium."

Ironically, I often say to myself, "Wouldn't it be funny if a plant that we constantly curse in our gardens turned out to be...edible/medicinal/pleasantly hallucinogenic/etc. ?"

I actually found out last spring that Goutweed is edible, because a friend noticed some Korean ladies harvesting a patch outside his fence, inquired about their mission, and later received a sample of the savoury and stir-fried dish they had prepared with it. (That said, please don't go out grazing without clear identification.)

I was reminded of this, when I optimistically tackled this crop at Daphne's this past week.

Goutweed, besides curing gout in medieval days and making nice Korean stir-fry, is a terrible, terrible weed to try to eradicate from garden beds. My only hope is to force its retreat back from the area where we want to plant perennials. I've dug a trench between "weeded soil" and the rockwall/shrubberies that are already hopelessly invaded with Goutweed's running roots. In the trench, I'll install a line of metal flashing, sunk to bedrock in this shallow soil.

In two weeks, I'll go back and re-weed any fragments that have resurrected themselves (as they do) and remain vigilant for the next ten years.

Alternatively, I will make Aaagh-opodium soup, or perhaps invent an Aaagh-opodium Green Drink. There's enough supply. A quick google reveals many recipe suggestions for Goutweed, but not much info about nutritional value. Can we not assume that all leafy green edible things are terribly terribly good for you?

[**See April 24th post because I found more info/made soup etc.**]