With summer settling in nicely here in Indiana, we naturally begin to think of sweet corn on the cob. Fresh sweet corn is one of the joys of living in the Midwest. The closest thing to picking your own is to get some at the Broad Ripple Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. As I understand, it is better to undercook than overcook. One farmer I talked to several years ago recommended only one to three minutes. I recommend you find a cooking time that is right for your taste. Start counting the cooking time when the corn ears hit the boiling water. I like six to seven minutes but, as I say, for some, that may be too much.

I also like cooked fresh sweet corn cut from the cob and frozen for use in recipes later. I will get plenty of extra during the season, then cook and cut it from the cob. It isn't difficult, just a bit messy. Cook the corn as usual but, as soon as each ear comes out of the kettle, dunk it into ice cold water and cool for the same amount of time the ears were in the cooking water. Next, on a cutting board, stand the ear on end and, using a sharp knife, slice through the top half of the corn kernels. Turn the ear and slice again till all the corn is sliced off the ear. Next, turn the knife blade around and, using the back edge of the knife, scrape off all the good stuff from the part of the corn still on the cob. Place the corn and scrapings into a bowl and mix together well. Freeze it for use in wintertime recipes. I package it in one cup containers to make it easy to use. Now, most of the work is done several months ahead and the corn is ready to thaw and go right into my recipes.

I save some of this frozen corn for the holidays. Corn pudding has been a tradition at the Thanksgiving dinner table in my family for years. I have tried many recipes for corn pudding and this is good. Just the sweet flavor of corn.

Prepare the eight ears of corn as suggested above. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and dash of pepper into the corn kernels and mix well. Beat the eggs, add the milk and melted butter. Combine the corn and egg mixtures. Pour in a greased 3-quart casserole. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, stirring mixture from sides to center once halfway through the baking time.