Has anyone ever tried the combination of pasta with cabbage?  (8th Aug,2010)

 This morning, waking up with dread, having read the previous day’s poll on leering Big Ears chances of getting in government, we spent the day with coffees while dressed in morning coats, refusing to get dressed. It’s all so grim. We contemplated a good walk but decided on a trip to Bowral and have lunch. It’s not always one had turned seventy the day before and not having had the kids congratulating at the crack of dawn.

I treated myself on this birthday by buying a new pair of reading glasses yesterday. You know those instant ones you buy at the chemist for $5.99? They turned out to be worse than the ones I had been wearing. The old ones had the lenses fogged up by scratches from coins and key rings. My key-ring now has an added gadget, a remote for the garage door behind which we have stored the majority of stuff for when we finally move next door to Bowral. Anyway, yesterday’s glasses were minus– 2, today’s are -3. A lot better.

The lunch was at Berkelouw’s bookshop café. A rare opportunity to peruse books and eat, cleverly combining a couple of needs. Milo was tied up outside with people queuing for their turn in patting him. The lunch was lasagne, lovely, but not as nice as Helvi’s. The trick with good lasagne is to keep it moist, not let it dry. Yet, at the same time a crust on the outside is a must. Lasagne is never easy.

At the same time, we all know that the humble potato and milk will keep us in good health indefinitely. This, according to an item on last week’s TV about the dangers of mono-agriculture and the growing of a single crop excluding variety. The potato was brought back from South America by Columbus. The western world has never looked back since. Apparently there are hundreds of different varieties of spuds. The Irish made the fatal mistake of growing just a single variety and when a bug or virus discovered the Irish grown potato it caused  the wilting of the plant and subsequent starvation of thousands of Irish during the ‘potato famine’. Tough agricultural lesson!

I would add ‘cabbage’ to the list of a life sustaining food. The Chinese have prospered not just from being the most industrious and hardworking nation, but also for their fondness of cabbage. We have recently re-discovered the cabbage and add it in a shredded form to almost everything we cook.  For any future economic collapse or double dipping recession; be prepared. The cheapest vegetables are generally potatoes and cabbages ( remember gabbage?) and with some cow’s milk we are guaranteed to stay alive and survive for decades.

 Think about it!