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It is the time of the gardening year when we've either had a killing frost or the plants just give up and stop producing. I picked the last of the cabbage about 3 weeks ago and decided to look through some recipe books for some new recipes to try using cabbage. I tried two of them and thought you might like to try them too. Cabbage, in it's raw stage, contains iron, calcium and potassium. It's also loaded with vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, D and a more recently discovered vitamin U. Don't ask me what this vitamin does for our body but you could check it out "online." When a recipe calls for 1 medium head of cabbage, how much is that? My information says that a medium head, weighs about 1-1/2 lbs., and about 8 c. shredded. That sounds like a lot but remember, when cooked, the amount is about half of what you started with. So, I'll bring on nutrition filled cabbage recipes.

AU GRATIN CABBAGE

4 c. shredded cabbage

1 c. shredded carrot

1/2 c. chopped green onions - can used diced onion

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1/4 c. plus 2 T. shredded Swiss cheese

Scant 1/2 t. seasoned salt

2 T. minced fresh parsley

2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute cabbage, carrots and onions until crisp-tender. Turn into a buttered shallow 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. In a bowl, combine next 4 ingredients, mixing well. Pour over veggies. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until inserted near center comes out clean.

Makes 4-5 servings.

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SMOTHERED GREEN

CABBAGE

1/4 c. plus 2 T. butter or margarine

1 medium head of cabbage, cored, coarsely chopped

1/2 t. minced garlic

1 t. caraway seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add cabbage; cook and stir over medium heat until cabbage is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Stir in soup, heat until hot and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

This is so good served with Polish sausage or Swedish potato sausage. Also, if you like to use bacon drippings, you can use that in place of the 2 T. butter. I'm not very fond of caraway seeds but I do like the flavor. So I simmer then in a small amount of a water; strain the seeds and add the liquid to the cabbage mixture.

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In the depression-era, sometimes the whole meal would consist of fried cabbage and homemade bread or cornbread. At that time you could buy cabbage for 5 to 10 cents a head, not pounds, but many families could only buy salt pork, not bacon if they could afford it.

DEPRESSION - ERA

FRIED CABBAGE

1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cut in 1/2 pieces

1 large head of cabbage, about 2-1/2 lbs., or about 10-12 c.

1/2 t. salt, pepper and red pepper flakes - pepper flakes, optional

1/3 c. water

Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat; stirring often. Drain, saving about 3 T. drippings. Add cabbage to drippings in skillet. Saute until well coated with drippings and cabbage is just beginning to brown lightly. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and water. Stir and add a little water if necessary. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered.

Serves 6.

TFD: I'm just a couple days late with this thought, but: candidate's debates seem to be just a way to get folks to listen to several political speeches instead of just one. Am I in trouble with that thought? Hope not as it was written by someone else!

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