Roan Mountain Corn Gravy Mrs. Margaret Propst, who received a B.S. in 1937 and an M.A. in 1959 from East Tennessee State, inherited this heirloom recipe from her mother, the late Mrs. C.R. (Florence) Graybeal, of Roan Mountain in Carter County, Tennessee. Mrs. Propst taught home economics for 17 years at Cloudland High School, but when the male teachers went overseas during World War II, she added chemistry, history, and English to her repertoire. When Cherokee Dam was being built in Jefferson County, Tennessee, she taught rural housewives how to use new pressure canning equipment just on the market for safety and less spoilage, and she offered food and nutrition instruction, teaching residents how to eat well and stay well. She completed her professional career as a Home Demonstration Agent for 18 years in Greene County, Tennessee. Mrs. Propst says Corn Gravy is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is best with white corn, such as Silver Queen, although fresh yellow corn or some canned corn may be used as well. Cut off 4 ears of corn, scraping each ear, and place in a saucepan with 2/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper, and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook for at least 5 minutes, or until corn is done. Add 4 1/2 cups sweet milk and heat until boiling point is reached. Dissolve 2 tablespoons flour into 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until smooth. Add this slowly to the boiling corn and cook 5-10 minutes or until flour taste is gone. Watch, because this can boil over. Stir constantly while mixture is boiling. This should be slightly thick, but not as thick as a cream gravy would be. It is best served on top of freshly baked biscuits. Notes: "Sweet milk" is a term used throughout the South to describe regular, whole milk, as opposed to buttermilk. Roan Mountain, at 6,200 feet, is the highest peak in Northeast Tennessee and is known throughout the world for the beauty of its Catawba Rhododendrons. "Margaret Propst is representative of the many home demonstration agents and teachers who took the knowledge they gained in college home economics departments and agricultural schools into the kitchens and classrooms of rural America to make the homemaker's chores less burdensome." ----Fred Sauceman