Lots of good advice above.
Finding that perfect gear that keeps your speed up AND allows you to comfortably get through the gusts is the key. Wind is a perfect condition to work on your position on the bike. Get on those drops and STAY there as long as you can. Gauge your output to remain in control of your effort and just keep laying down the power and cadence that will get you home without folding.
Last Sunday's ride, the final part of the return leg was 32 miles, one after the other, into either a block 16-17 MPH headwind with gusts in the mid 20's (no Santa Ana, but it sucked none the less!) or with a hard cross-head wind when our route tacked us in that heading. I was forced to work harder and faster than I normally would have done that leg if I had been solo by my younger training partner.
I just had to work the gears and make sure I was smooth and efficient. Upgrade or down, keep spinning and stay out of the red zone because recovery takes longer and the high output stretches are going to accumulate faster when going into it. This doesn't mean you can not stretch your muscles and even get out of the saddle and grind out a bigger gear to vary your muscle groups or cadence when the opportunity presents (wind dies, you find some shelter, the terrain works in your favor, the guy up front sits up to down a gel, etc.). By all means, I take every break from hunkering down low that I can.
Like Mr. B said, you aren't going to beat a head wind, but you can learn to work into it with some intelligence and reap the fitness gains in doing so.