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Well, March is almost here. (Wishful thinking) I have been trying to recollect what we ate in the wintertime back in the day. No grapes from Peru or avocados from Mexico. All food was local. Fresh produce was expensive and limited in selection. No matter. We couldn't afford it anyway. We ate what we had on the farm. I don't know how the folks in town got on that didn't have a garden.

If you wrapped cabbage heads in newspaper and kept them in a cool dark place, they would still be edible at winter's end. The outer leaves would be dried, brown and paper thin. A few layers in and they were okay.

You can freeze cabbage, too. Not the whole head. Dice in small pieces or shred. Cook in unsalted water until tender-crisp. When thawed, it will not be watery, but ready to be cooked in whatever dish you desire. You will never know the cabbage had been frozen.

I like cabbage. There are so many things you can do with it. I am going to give you two recipes that can stand alone or be dressed up with meat.

CABBAGE CASSEROLE
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can milk
1 cup crumbled Ritz crackers
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook cabbage until tender-crisp. Drain well. Butter 2 quart casserole dish. Add a layer of cabbage, layer of crackers and a layer of cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cracker crumbs and cheese on top. Mix soup and milk. Pour over casserole. Run a spoon down through all the layers several times to help sauce penetrate the dish. Bake at 350 F. until bubbly hot and cheese is melted with a light brown crust on top, about 30 minutes.

CABBAGE AND POTATOES
1 head white cabbage
Salt
4 cups quartered peeled potatoes
2 cups water
½ cup bacon fat or butter

Remove outer leaves, wash and core cabbage. Cut cabbage in medium chunks. Cook, covered, in small amount of salted water for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain. Cook potatoes, covered, in 2 cups boiling water with the bacon fat and a little salt. When done, do not drain. Add cabbage and mix well. This dish can be eaten as a whole meal in the winter time. Serves 4. Meat is not necessary, but hot dogs, sausage links or pork chops go very well with this dish.