ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI: CREAMAY CORN PUDDING OFFERS DOWN HOME EATIIN' AT ITS BEST

Creamy Corn Pudding is at its best when corn is at its summertime peak of perfection and freshly out from the cob. Around July 4th is when my two favorite varieties, the tried-and-true field corn and the newer cobbies of Honey Gold, make their season debuts.

While I do look forward to that first tantalizing bite of corn pudding, preparing the fresh corn is not my idea of a good time. Yet, a smile always lights up my face at the thought of a corn assembly line set up in our backyard in 1968.

A corn assembly line began with dozens of ears of corn being placed upon long tables outside. One person would shuck, one would detassle, one would cut the kernels from the cob, and one would scrape the milk from the cob. The scraping was the job that you did not want, but I would do anything for fresh corn pudding.

On this afternoon, the corn assembly line and earlier spring events reached a culmination of disastrous hilarity. That spring we had gotten a homing pigeon, who joined our spoiled 11-year-old cat and 8-year-old dog. The pigeon was not popular with the cat and dog, who would sit and stare at the poor pigeon's cage for hours at a time. We were not surprised that when the pigeon's training period was finished, he didn't return home.

You guessed it! On that 1968 summer afternoon when the corn assembly line was at its peak, the pigeon came home. When the pigeon buzzed the cat and dog, turmoil and confusion became the order of the day. It was a free-for-all as the three ran a collision derby through the corn assembly line leaving pans of freshly cut corn strewn about the yard among the disheveled workers. It was a doleful, yet absolutely comical site to behold.

There were not many fresh corn puddings that year.

Creamy Corn Pudding

4 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a small skillet and saute onions until softened. Remove from heat to cool.

Combine flour, pepper, salt and paprika in a large bowl.

Fold corn into flour mixture.

Add the beaten eggs and butter with sauteed onions.

Add both milks, mixing well.

Pour in a buttered 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set.

Yield: 6 servings.

Angie Holtzhouser is author of "Drop Dumplin's and Pan-Fried Memories ... Along the Mississippi." Her cookbook is available at local bookstores. In addition, it can be purchased through the mail at: Drop Dumplin's, P.O. Box 10, Lilbourn, Mo. 63862. The price is $19.95, including tax and shipping.