Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

MISS FRANK’S CORN ON THE COB
Letitia Frank

When I was a student in high school, I did not do well in math and my Dad thought it would be best if I spent the summer being tutored.  He announced this to me, without engaging me in any discussion or negotiation.  My whole summer was destroyed, devastated, and deflated.  Woe was I.  THEN came the really bad news.  I was to be tutored by the oldest living lady in town – Miss Frank!  “But Dad,” I pleaded.  “Miss Frank is the oldest living lady in town.  What happens if she drops dead of a heart attack while I’m being tutored?”  That had never actually happened to me, but I always thought I had the potential to killing a teacher in this manner.  Then I pulled out my best point:  “Besides, Dad.  Miss Frank is not a math teacher. She’s the Latin teacher.”

“Oh, I’m not talking about that Miss Frank,” said Dad.  “I’m talking about her mother.” 

Miss Frank, the younger, was an elder in the Presbyterian Church and long after I left high school and the town of Ware Shoals, SC, I would frequently find myself working with her in work of the Presbyterians in South Carolina.  We were at Montreat, North Carolina, for a conference and she brought this wisdom on corn on the cob.  She admits that she usually boiled the corn on the cob, but this was one she thought everyone should try.

1.      Plant the corn yourself.  Pick the day you want to cook it.  If possible, within the hour.  Actually, within the next ten minutes.  If you cannot plant the corn personally, find a local market that will sell local corn, such as Silver Queen.

2.     Pull back the corn husks and remove as much of the silk as possible.  The corn husks should remain on the corn cob and just be pulled back.

3.     Chop off the pointed end of the corn cobs.

4.     Pull the husks back into place so that the husks encase the cob once again.

5.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6.     Submerge the ears into a big pot or bowl of ice water.

7.     When the oven is ready, remove the ears and drain briefly.

8.     Place the ears directly onto the oven rack.

9.     Bake for 30 minutes.

10.  Remove the ears and serve with butter and salt and pepper.