Friday, April 10, 2009

Bishop's Weed

On the garden plot we found masses of bishop's weed, or ground elder, or gout weed growing. It is three-leafed, and said to be cookable like spinach, or fresh salad. I had a bite: it has a lovely fresh taste, very subtle, and the leaves are tender, when taken from a new plant. It is apparently hard to dig up--the roots are all interconnected down under. But who would want to? I'm going to eat as much of it as I can. It is legendary for curing gout...which I've never had...but is so central to the sufferings of Austenian parental figures.