🔗 Share this article Don't Throw Away That Parmesan Crust – It Is an Excellent Flavor Booster – Cooking Guide The hard ends of Parmesan cheese are the best sustainable kitchen trick – like a cheesy stock cube, they enhance stews, sauces and various dishes, adding pure deliciousness in the form of savory richness and smooth consistency. Kept in the refrigerator or freezer, they last for a very long time. Today's culinary creation uses them in a budget-friendly, creamy corn orzo that transforms a handful of basic items into cozy fall food. Creamed Corn Orzo This dish was a happy accident, and had everyone asking for seconds. Originally, the idea was a classic tomato orzo to use up the remaining portion in the cupboard left over from making a cold pasta dish, but desired a dish fitting the season. Fresh corn cobs are one of fall's short-lived pleasures, as short-lived as asparagus, and during their brief season I enjoy them often. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be good to utilize the entire corn – not just the sweet kernels, but also the starchy, flavourful pulp and the used cores. The additional taste, combined with a cheese crust, onion, dairy spread and a dash of cream or liquid, turns a single cob into a generous and very fulfilling dish for two. Serves 2 generously 1 fresh corn cob 50g butter One medium-sized onion, peeled and finely chopped Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut 250g orzo 40-50g parmesan rind – grate off and reserve any remaining cheese 100 milliliters of heavy cream, optional Sea salt and ground pepper High-quality olive oil, to finish To get the most flavour from your corn cob, stand it on one end, cut off the kernels in long strips, then break up the cobs by hand. After that, with a spoon, quickly scrape the starchy, milky pulp from the cobs into a bowl. Place the used cobs in a pot with 750 milliliters of water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and leave to cook on a low heat. Melt the butter in a separate big skillet on a medium-low heat. Put in the onion and garlic, sauté softly, mixing, for about 5 minutes, until soft, then include the corn and pasta, and saute for three minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the saved corn residue, heat until bubbling and simmer for two minutes, mixing to prevent sticking or burning. Drain the warm corn broth into the orzo pan, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer, mixing often, for about 7 minutes, until the pasta is firm to the bite and the mixture is loose and creamy; include more water if needed. Season to taste, and serve garnished with extra butter and a sprinkling of the reserved grated parmesan.