Creamy Pot Barley with Butternut Squash and Thyme

I was determined to figure out how to make a risotto-type dish with barley in the required eight hours, and after three or four attempts I finally hit on two key elements: using ice to slow the start of cooking, so the barley would be less likely to overcook (it’s okay if it does; it’s just that the texture is a little more interesting when there are distinct barley grains in the mix), and folding tangy buttermilk into the barley just before serving (it gives the dish a lightness that it wa