Pokeweed is one of the great wild greens. It's a shame that so many people are afraid of it. Raw chicken and raw pork carry risks, but that doesn't stop people from enjoying chicken or pork when it's been prepared properly. I think of pokeweed in the same way -- just parboil it in a couple changes of water and then cook it how you enjoy it. My dad had us kids picking it, filling grocery sacks with it, even when we were 7 years old. Pokeweed is real food for regular people - and has fed so many people through the generations!