Just...

...a little something from the kitchen!

We were camping in Petoskey at the end of August and visited the Farmer's Market in the old downtown. Our favorite vendor from East Jordan was on hand with his fresh bison and the Friske Farm folk. One of the gals from Friske had a sign posted for "Fresh from the Freezer" corn. A bit skeptical, I memorized the recipe anyhow and gave it a go once I got home. Straight out of the oven, the corn was delicious...I must sheepishly admit I made this around midnight and couldn't stop dipping my spoon in the pan. I even woke the D up to announce my triumph! Just for good meaure, I froze the corn overnight and warmed it up the next evening for dinner. Tastes just like corn on the cob!!

Here's the recipe --- I've done some researching since; there are quite a few variations: water instead of half 'n half; stovetop cooking for 10 minutes vs. oven for 45, etc. I plan to test at least the water version simply because if it tastes just as good, why use heavy cream/half 'n half??? Cheaper and healthier! {grin}

20 cups of corn kernels (cut fresh from 24 ears)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups (1 pint) half 'n half

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a large roasting pan. Add corn and cream; stir to combine. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once corn is moving toward tender but still has a bite to it, remove the pan from the oven and transfer corn to a large bowl set in an ice-water bath. Stir until corn is cooled at least to room temperature. Measure into whatever size containers you intend to use; for my first batch I made two quart containers. Don't ask me why...

You can add up to 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tsp. salt to the basic recipe, if you like, but I didn't. The Friske gal told me the milk helps preserve the crispness of the corn -- so, I'm curious if I could reduce the amount of butter overall as it doesn't seem to have much to do with the texture of the frozen corn. Butter or salt could be added to taste tableside if desired. What I was really after is that crunch of fresh corn on the cob, and this recipe delivered!