Corn Butter Farro

A logical progression after making zucchini butter spaghetti a few times — provided you’re a person who likes zucchini, butter, and spaghetti, or what happens when the first two melt silkily against the third — is to ask yourself, what can I butter next? What vegetable wants to be cooked down until it’s tender, concentrated, and almost buttery and then fused with actual butter to make something better than both things? My friend Alissa and I debated this a couple months ago, cycling through carrots, peas, and tomatoes* before landing on corn. Except it was more like oh my god: CORN!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 grams) unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) olive oil
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 to 4 cobs)
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups (710 grams) water
• 1 cup (205 grams) semi-pearled farro
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 tablespoons (20 grams) minced scallions or fresh chives for garnish
• Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)