If life hands you weeds, make weed soup -- and a stir-fry, some steamed appetizers and a pie.

	Reiko Goto feeds Japanese knotweed to Noel Hefele in Highland Park. Goto and Hefele are both part of the 3 Rivers 2nd Nature project at Carnegie Mellon University. On Saturday the Western Pennsylvania Field Institute will hold a Japanese Knotweed Feast at the Rhododendron Grove in Highland Park.(Tony Tye, Post-Gazette)

That's the wild menu planned by the Western Pennsylvania Field Institute for its first annual Japanese Knotweed Feast, from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday in Highland Park. The outing is co-sponsored by the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania.

An Asian import, Japanese Knotweed is a prolific, obnoxious 8-foot-tall, sometimes lovely ornamental that drives out all plants in its path.

Like other Ellis Island arrivals in the 1800s, the fertile plant found the United States a grand place to put down roots. But it never became a good citizen and minded its own business.

Attempts to oust the pesky nuisance have come to naught. Sean Brady, program director of WPFI, who has been stalking the wild rhubarb relative for three years, decided if you can't beat it, eat it.

"The tender shoots have a tangy, lemony flavor," he said, stirring a handful of freshly cleaned 4-inch sprouts into a wok with wild onions, bok choy, red bell pepper, chili paste, soy sauce and black pepper at a feast preview.

		Japanese Knotweed Feast WHEN: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Rhododendron Grove, Highland Park COST: $10 for Western Pennsylvania Field Institute members, $12 for nonmembers; walk-ups welcome DETAILS: 412-255-0564

"They're full of vitamin C and Resveratrol, the ingredient in red grapes believed to lower chances of heart disease, and they increase 'good' cholesterol and soothe the stomach."

Opinions on the taste of freshly steamed knotweed (before it joined Brady's wok) ranged from asparagus to artichoke, Swiss chard to spinach.

Once in the stir-fry, however, it became an Oriental delicacy, befitting its country's origin. Who knows what Brady could do with kudzu.

Robyn Seminora, a hardy WPFI volunteer, served wedges of still-warm knotweed pie made from shoots harvested at Washington's Landing and along Sandy Creek in Penn Hills.

Combined with apples, cranberries and raisins in a killer crust, the pie was delicious. "The sweetness of the fruits cuts the tartness of the knotweed," she explained.

Brady's interest in turning the weed (polygorium cuspidatum) into feed came from "Wildman" Steve Brill, a noted New York state naturalist, forager and environmental educator whose talents include innovative dishes made from wild plants.

"A member of the Botanical Society lent me one of Wildman's cookbooks ["Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild Places"] that had recipes," he said.

"That's when I finally realized how to raise awareness about knotweed, because the way to Pittsburghers' minds is through their stomachs."

If you're interested in hands-on foraging and harvesting of the shoots for Saturday's feast, Brady invites you to join him and other volunteers at the Eliza Furnace Trail at 6:30 tonight.

Entrepreneurs intrigued with the weed include a man in Fayette Country trying to turn it into gasohol to sell to Sri Lanka, an artist who uses the bamboo-like stalks in wall hangings, and an upstate New York zoo that feeds it to the animals.

The plant can be found blooming Downtown in a few weeks. Three Rivers Second Nature and Ground Zero Action Network have commandeered the "Skinny Building" at Forbes Avenue and Wood Street (cater-corner from WPFI). They plan to fill the windows with potted knotweed for office workers to watch grow.

Besides food, Saturday's event in the Rhododendron Shelter includes a hike to the weed's habitat in Highland Park to learn more about the abundant intruder.